Motion Picture 
Education 



By % 

ERNEST A. DENCH 

Author of "Making the Mooies,"" Play writing 

for the Cinema," " A dvertiiing by 

Motion Pictures" 




CINCINNATI 

THE STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY 



Copyright, 1917 
The Stemdard Publishing Company 






L!EC 31 1917 



©01.4481281 



A.' 



CONTENTS 

Pagh 
I 

Do Motion Pictures Interfere 
WITH THE Education of the 
Child? 13 

II 

Stimulating Imagination by Mo- 
tion Pictures 20 

III 

What the Free-lance Has Done 

FOR THE Educational Film . . 23 

IV 

Battles that Are Refought for 

THE Film 29 

V 

Arithmetic, Spelling and Hand- 
writing BY Motion Pictures. . 35 

VI 

Penmanship in Motion Pictures.. 38 

3 



CONTENTS 

Page 
VII 

Printed Matter in Motion Pic- 
tures 41 

VIII 

The Motion-picture Newspaper as 
AN Educator 46 

IX 

The Shortcomings of Photoplay 

Adapted Literature 49 

X 

Showing Motion Pictures in Open- 
air Schools 54 

XI 

The Limitations of Motion-pic- 
ture Education ^6 

XII 

Are Speed-up Motion Pictures of 

Educational Value? 60 

XIII 

Conducting School Motion-pic- 
ture Circuits 63 

4 



CONTENTS 

Page] 

XIV 

Living in the Past by the Movies 68 

XV 

The Study of Athletics and 

Sports by Motion Pictures ... 73 

XVI 

Why Not a Zoo for Every Town? 78 

XVII 

Domestic Science by Motion Pic- 
tures 82 

XVIII 

Speaking Words in the Silent 
Drama 85 

XIX 

Selecting Motion Pictures for 

Children 89 

XX 

Motion Pictures that Children 

Like 96 

XXI 

The Motion-picture Poster Men- 
ace 102 

5 



CONTENTS 

Page 

XXII 

Capitalizing Notoriety in Motion 

Pictures 105 

XXIII 

The Photoplay Theater Crying- 
baby Problem 11 1 

XXIV 

Opera on the Film 114 

XXV 

Spiritualism by the Film 122 

XXVI 
Bible Study by Motion Pictures. . 127 

XXVII 

Putting Over Sermons in Photo- 
plays 136 

XXVIII 

Raising Church Funds by Motion 

Pictures 141 

XXIX 

Increasing Sunday-school Atten- 
dances BY Motion Pictures. . . 145 

6 



CONTENTS 

Page 

XXX 

Allowing Children to Act in a 

Photoplay They Have Seen. . 149 

XXXI 

Missionary Work by Motion Pic- 
tures 152 

XXXII 

Temperance Aided by Motion Pic- 
tures 158 

XXXIII 

Stamping Down Cruelty to Ani- 
mals BY Motion Pictures 162 

XXXIV 

The Motion Picture in Surgery 

AND Medicine 166 

XXXV 

Dentistry by the Film 175 

XXXVI 

Fighting Tuberculosis by the 

Film 178 

7 



CONTENTS 

Page 

XXXVII 

**Better Babies" Movie Campaign. i8i 
XXXVIII 

Hospital Funds Through a Film 

''Visit" 185 

XXXIX 

The "Fighting Infantile Paraly- 
sis" Film 188 

XL 

Conducting a Public Health Cam- 
paign BY Motion Pictures. ... 192 

XLI 

Americanizing Foreigners by Mo- 
tion Pictures 196 

XLII 

Industrial Uses of the Motion 

Picture 200 

XLIII 

Entertaining Employees by Mo- 
tion Pictures 214 

8 



CONTENTS 

Page 

XLIV 

Shooting at the Film 223 

XLV 

Teaching Agriculture by Motion 

Pictures 228 

XLVI 
Live Stock in Motion Pictures. . . 232 

XLVII 

Using the Movies Under the Sea. 234 

XLVIII 

Motion Pictures as an Aid to Pol- 
itics 237 

XLIX 

The Motion-picture Critic 247 

L 
Law Practice by Motion Pictures 252 

LI 

Aiding Crime Detection by Motion 

Pictures 256 

LII 

Motion Pictures in Prison 260 

9 



CONTENTS 

Pagh 

LIII 
Making the Motion Picture *'One 

OF THE FAiMILY" 263 

LIV 
Writing a Local Photoplay 268 

LV 
Attending to the Acting 273 

LVI 
Colors Employed in Make-up 276 

LVII 
Securing Permission for Locations 279 

LVIII 
Taking the Exteriors 283 

LIX 
Lighting Night Exteriors 289 

LX 
Lighting Interiors 292 

LXI 

Staging Interiors 297 

10 



CONTENTS 

Pag:^ 

LXII 

Trick Effects 303 

LXIII 

Tactics Adopted in Filming Natu- 
ral History Subjects 307 

LXIV 

Taking Motion Pictures from an 

Aeroplane 313 

LXV 

Film Stock Troubles in the 

Tropics 317 

LXVI 
Developing the Negative 321 

LXVII 

How TO Take Film Titles 328 

LXVIII 
Printing Positive Copies 331 

LXIX 

Home Motion-picture Entertain- 
ments AS A Source of Plea- 
sure AND Profit 335 

11 



CONTENTS 

Page 

LXX 

The Value of Publicity 339 

LXXI 

Improving Film Presentation by 
Color Lighting 341 

LXXII 

Are We to Have Stereoscopic Mo- 
tion Pictures? 346 

LXXIII 

Showing Old Films to Children. . 351 



12 



I 



DO MOTION PICTURES INTERFERE WITH 
THE EDUCATION OF THE CHILD? 

OUT of school hours the average child 
is never happy unless attending the 
movies. To take a typical town, Duluth^ 
Minnesota, for instance. City Supt. R. E. 
Denfield has compiled the following statis- 
tics: 2,621 children attend the movies once 
weekly; 1,065 twice weekly; 188 thrice 
weekly; 61 four times weekly; 16 five times 
weekly; 2 six times weekly; 15 seven times 
weekly; 1,044 occasionally; 248 once 
monthly. 

How do these motion-picture visits affect 
the child? We hear reports that, after an 
evening spent in a photoplay theater, the 
child is not in a fit mental condition to 
absorb his school lessons on the next day. 
Is this true? Whether the effect produced 
is harmful or not depends almost entirely 
upon the conditions under which the pictures 
are seen and the type of picture shown. 

13 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Many exhibitors, I regret to say, pay 
but scant attention to the health of their 
patrons. The figures obtained by Dr. 
Haven Emerson, Health Commissioner for 
New York City, tell their story only too 
eloquently. No fewer than one thousand 
motion-picture theaters in New York City 
and Brooklyn were visited, and of these 
but eighty-seven were properly ventilated. 
The worst examples were the converted 
store shows, but many other houses were 
equipped with electric fans, which, for 
economical reasons, were not used, conse- 
quently this air circulation outlet was closed. 
In other theaters Inadequate heating facili- 
ties evidently were responsible for all fresh- 
air outlets and Inlets being closed up. To 
quote from the report: "Perfumed disin- 
fectants are being, sprayed in some of the 
theaters with a cattle-sprayer. The spray- 
ing process does nothing to eliminate germs 
coming from the mouths of patrons, which 
cause epidemics during the winter. Our 
experiments with culture-plates revealed the 
fact that the quantity of germs immediately 
decreased when the fans were operated." 

The stuffy atmosphere which Is the Inev- 
itable outcome of poor ventilation causes 

14 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the average patron to leave the theater with 
a tired feeling. This Is not natural tired- 
ness — It is the kind which makes a child 
wake heavy in the morning, instead of with 
a clear head. The reason is therefore not 
hard to seek why a pupil pays but scant 
attention to his or her lessons. 

Some assert that motion pictures are 
hard on the eyes, while others aver that 
they actually prove a beneficial exercise. 
Which version, then. Is correct? The eye 
problem Is mainly determined by the pro- 
jection. Tf it Is poor, only harm can result. 
I know of one girl who had an attack of 
nervousness. The optometrist, however, 
ascertained that the theater she was in the 
habit of attending showed flickering films, 
which had done considerable damage to the 
retina of each eye. He advised her to dis- 
continue her visits, as otherwise she would 
probably have paralysis of the optic nerve. 
The main cause of flicker is old films. Films 
rapidly deteriorate, and when they reach 
the "rainy" stage they are a menace to the 
eyesight. The fault, however, does not 
always arise from this, for the operator 
may be careless or Incompetent. 

Another serious defect is "speeding." 
2 15 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

A reel ordinarily takes from sixteen to 
eighteen minutes to run off the screen, but 
the operator sometimes shoots the reels 
through at almost double the normal speed. 
Speaking of this evil, a prominent Chicago 
oculist says: "Severe test is put upon the 
eyes by the unnatural swiftness with which 
films are sometimes reeled off, making every 
action abnormally rapid and jerky, convert- 
ing the actor's walk into a Chinese trot and 
giving all the participants a sort of St. Vitus 
dance. The practice of flashing written 
letters and printed matter on and off the 
screen with almost lightning celerity puts 
the greatest strain upon the eyes. The 
audience, in its eagerness to get an intelli- 
gent understanding of the action, makes a 
strong effort to read the lines, but in many 
instances it is given no opportunity to read 
all of them, and is kept on a strain in the 
strenuous effort to grasp them at a fleeting 
glance." 

When motion pictures are exhibited 
under ideal conditions, the only evil to be 
feared is watching the screen for too long 
a period. Mrs. Ella Flagg Young, super- 
intendent of the Chicago schools, some time 
ago suggested that a five-minute intermission 

16 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

between the reels be made compulsory. 
First: Films are of standard lengths and 
there are many objections to a stop in the 
middle of a reel. Second: Specialists dis- 
agree with Mrs. Young's views. 

The average photoplay program occu- 
pies about two hours, which has been 
declared the ideal period in which to view 
films at one sitting. The eyes are actually 
rested, but after this period weariness slowly 
but surely comes on. Even hardened news- 
paper critics testify that such is the case. As 
most theaters are run on the continuous 
principle, a child is liable to stay and see 
the performance more than once, for it is a 
childish trait to watch a thing as long as 
possible. 

There are many ways by which the char- 
acter of the films seen by pupils may be 
determined. In South Bend, Indiana, 748 
schoolchildren were recently asked as to the 
kind of pictures they preferred. Forty-one 
per cent, declared in favor of educational; 
thirty per cent., dramatic; twenty-seven per 
cent., comedy, and two per cent, crime. 

But a Vine Street (Cincinnati) school 
goes one further. At the morning session 
each child is asked whether he or she was 

17 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

present at a motion-picture theater on the 
preceding evening. The names of these 
pupils are recorded and particulars taken 
of the amount of work performed. 

A Cleveland teacher finds room on her 
schedule for holding an oral expression and 
story-telling period once weekly. In con- 
nection with this she encourages her pupils 
to relate the stories of the photoplays they 
have seen. It has proved most popular 
with the children because it is a subject dear 
to their hearts. 

The right kind of films actually assists 
the education of a child. A sixth-grade 
pupil who saw a film of the Panama Canal 
found this engineering wonder so fascinating 
that he borrowed books on the subject from 
the public library. Another boy stated that 
he liked natural-history pictures because he 
was able to see how animals and birds live. 
A drama appealed to a little girl owing to 
the kindness and thoughtfulness displayed 
by the small boy. 

Bad films do an untold amount of harm. 
In this category I would include sensational 
dramas and vulgar comedies, which leave 
such an impression upon a child's mind that 
he lies awake all night thinking about them 

18 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

and consequently is unable to concentrate at 
school on the following day. 

Not all theaters show such undesirable 
pictures, so the child should be taught to 
discriminate between the good and the bad. 
The woman's clubs are accomplishing a lot 
of good throughout the country in obtain- 
ing suitable pictures for children, and in 
many cases have induced exhibitors to give 
special children's performances once weekly. 

The Grass Valley (California) Board of 
Education, for instance, is working in co-op- 
eration with the local motion-picture show- 
men with the prime object of securing more 
and better pictures for children. This plan 
might be adopted wuth advantage by school 
authorities elsewhere, 



19 



II 



STIMULATING IMAGINATION BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

THE eye plays an important part in pres- 
ent-day education, but It has not yet 
been brought up to the efficiency point. 
Books and slides whet the imagination, but 
fail to completely satisfy the same. Not 
so with the motion picture, however. Why 
are youngsters of all ages so fond of going 
to the movies? It Is because they are able 
to see things as they are. 

The average city-dweller's child has a 
very vague Idea of the beauties of the 
countryside, for some parents are not well 
off enough to send their offspring to the 
green meadows, hills and woods. These 
are practically like foreign lands to them, 
but present these things In motion pictures 
and they will grasp every little detail so 
readily that It proves as good as visiting 
the places presented. The city child would 
In no time be wise as his country cousin, 

20 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

especially in regard to the haunts and habits 
of wild animals and birds. 

A friend of mine, teaching in England, 
recently told me a story anent a pupil who 
had seen a film covering England's largest 
county. ''I always thought that Yorkshire 
was a red piece of land," the boy remarked. 
"Why?" asked his teacher. "Because it is 
shown on the map In red." 

Facts such as the above, when presented 
in motion pictures, would leave an indelible 
impression. 

The motion picture affords an extensive 
Insight In regard to the different races — 
what they are like, how they live, indus- 
tries, etc. 

The following is an extract from a letter 
I received from a girl of fourteen: "Motion 
pictures are better to the schoolchildren than 
geography books because it is easy for them 
to understand and they can see the places 
described. People do not have to travel 
to see beautiful places and scenes, but they 
can see them on the film." 

The study of literature Is made harder 
by some of the classics having to be read 
over more than once In order to sense the 
story. But let a grade first read the book 

21 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

and then show them the photoplay version, 
which will only take about an hour to pro- 
ject on the screen, and they will know the 
characters completely and master the story 
without the least difficulty. 

In regard to poetry, an author often 
digs deep and introduces phrases which are 
like Greek to the average scholar. But if 
a poem is presented in motion pictures, as 
a great many have been, each verse pre- 
ceding the visualization will be shown on the 
screen, destroying all doubt on the subject. 

Motion pictures sharpen the brain of a 
child, make it move quicker, and allow 
things to be grasped which were previously 
beyond its mental capacity. All this is done 
without "cramming." 



22 



Ill 

WHAT THE FREE-LANCE HAS DONE FOR 
THE EDUCATIONAL FILM 

XV/ITHOUT the free-lance writer our 
^^ magazines and periodicals would lose 
a great deal of their interest. 

The photoplay producers, being business 
men, have followed the lines of least resist- 
ance. In saying this, however, I do not 
wish to reflect upon a body of upright men. 
They started out with the idea of entertain- 
ing the masses, so they naturally turned their 
attention to comedy and dramatic stories. 
With the passing of time, their product 
began to show signs of improvement, and a 
superior type of patron favored the movie 
theater, while the old stagers were gradually 
educated up to the point of appreciating 
more substantial fare than pure romance. 

Europe was first to cater to this demxand 
by producing short educationals. These 
covered natural history, native customs, pop- 
ular science, industries and floriculture. 

23 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

But experience has to be purchased first 
of all, so, instead of treating a subject in a 
highly entertaining manner, like the maga- 
zines and newspapers so ably do, the pro- 
ducer, in too many cases, failed to deviate 
from the text-book. His productions were 
right in line for educational purposes, but 
they were not palatable enough for general 
consumption. The consequence was that 
the educational got a bad name. 

The American producers, in view of this 
experience, declined to break down the 
prejudice which arose to the surface. 

Enter, then, the third party, the free- 
lance cinematographer. He was not ham- 
pered by having to adhere to a releasing 
schedule. He might have worshiped the 
guide-book when combining pleasure with 
business on a vacation, only he did not, to 
his advantage. To get out of the beaten 
track he knew that he would have to rely 
upon his own observation powers, so when 
he ran up against something out of the 
ordinary he capitalized it on the spot. 

It would take a volume to record all the 
accomplishments of the numerous free-lance, 
motion-picture photographers. Unquestion- 
ably, the most amazing undertaking down to 

24 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

date is that of the Williamson brothers. In 
1 9 14 they perfected their submarine-tube 
apparatus. All the underwater pictures up 
till then had been taken in tanks and 
aquariums, so they determined to obtain the 
last word in realism. They quietly set to 
work in the Bahamas, where the water is 
as clear as crystal and the undergrowth a 
thing of beauty, to reveal, for the first 
time, what it is like in King Neptune's 
domains. 

Divers had been the only folks privi- 
leged to view this sight, but none the less a 
photoplay audience would soon tire of it. 
It was to offset this that such stunts as 
native hunting, and diving for coins, species 
of fish, sponge-fishing, and a fight between a 
man and shark, were added to introduce the 
desired variety. 

To prove that there was no fake, the 
first reel of the picture was devoted to a 
demonstration of their apparatus. 

Of big-game-hunting pictures in Africa 
there have been many, the best being 
obtained by Paul Rainey, Cherry Kearton 
and Lady Mackenzie. 

The Arctic regions have also been well 
plucked. Edward Salisbury spent three 

25 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

years in filming the wild life of our United 
States. 

The motion pictures of the ill-fated 
Captain Scott South Pole expedition were 
of unusual Interest, and introduced the 
motion picture in a new and useful capacity. 
H. C. Ponting, the camera-man, recorded 
all the activities of the expedition up to the 
time the Southern party made their fatal 
dash. Although none of the heroic party 
came back to tell the tale, there was one 
consolation: they were seen in harness until 
they left their comrades. 

Coming right home. Professor Ditmars 
makes a hobby of taking natural-history pic- 
tures, his position of curator at the New 
York Zoological Gardens providing him 
with abundant facilities for this sort of 
thing. Fiddling with spiders and running 
the gamut to snakes is as tedious as it is 
dangerous. 

It will be news to you to know that 
Ditmars is averse to having his machinery 
exploited, as it is of a special kind. His 
first effort was a series of pictures entitled 
"The Book of Nature." Now, however, 
he sells occasional "fillers" to the regular 
producers. 

26 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Dr. George A. Dorsey has completed 
a brilliant piece of work in his series cover- 
ing China, Japan and India. 

The efforts of these free-lances have 
abundantly disproved the presumption that 
the general public would not stand for more 
than five-minute doses of educationals. 
Most of these big productions, occupying 
the screen for two hours or more, have been 
star attractions at the leading theaters in 
New York, Chicago and London. 

Why have they appealed? This lies 
principally in blending the human-interest 
material with the facts In an unusual sub- 
ject. 

Had these cinematographers been work- 
ing on a salary basis for the regular film 
manufacturers, they would. In all proba- 
bility, have been deprived of the credit. 

Even to-day the average regular pro- 
ducer has not a true conception of the right 
qualities for an educational picture. He 
attempts to bolster it up vAth an apology 
for a story. 

I must not, however, permit my sense of 
fairness to run astray, so will state that he 
excels in producing one type of educational 
— the historical. His long experience In 

27 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

putting on comedies and dramas qualifies 
him to reconstruct the past. 

To get down to the point, Is there any 
chance for the free-lance cinematographer 
to make good In this special field? There 
Is — If you have new, practical Ideas. What 
Is wanted to-day are things which have 
never been filmed. Just because almost all 
the globe has been, seemingly, covered. Is not 
to Imply that little else remains. In this land 
of wonderful natural resources, for instance, 
there are historical places, scenic charms. 
Industries and phases of natural history 
galore, which have never appeared in 
motion pictures. It Is up to you to find 
them. 

This will afford you a rough idea of the 
possibilities that do exist. Some of the 
regular producing concerns are open to 
purchase the negatives of good subjects at 
a fair price, 



28 



IV 



BATTLES THAT ARE REFOUGHT FOR 
THE FILM 

T TOW dearly the average film producer 
^ ^ loves reproducing battles ! All the 
thrills he wants are readily made, and he 
can steer ahead to his heart's content. The 
mainstay of his work is action spelled in 
capital letters, and this is why war pictures 
appeal to him more than any other class of 
films. 

When at school, many of us voted his- 
tory a dry and uninteresting subject. It was 
one mass of facts, and the nearest we ever 
got to the visualizing stage was by a few 
sketches contained in books, and our lessons 
were accompanied by maps, which were 
quite as uninteresting. 

The moving picture has changed all this, 
and battles that once were only familiar to 
us by dates and names, now convey a far 
greater meaning. We envy the children of 
to-day, who are able to derive their learning 

29 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

in the easy and pleasant way the film affords. 

Of course, none of us regards the pic- 
ture theater as an advanced school. We go 
there to be entertained, but if we can learn 
in an indirect manner at the same time, so 
much the better. 

But the director has spoiled himself too 
many times by mixing fiction with facts. 
The receipt does not blend at all well. 
When w^e see advertised "The Battle of 
Never Occurred," we certainly look forward 
to seeing the historian's record strictly 
adhered to. But In the majority of cases 
Tve find the director has gone beyond the 
history book by Introducing an insipid love 
story to hold the Interest. To be sure, we 
do not object to the gentle passion being 
depicted in its right place, but one can have 
too much of a good thing. He has, at 
different times, produced ambitious war 
spectacles, and these have been none the 
worse — quite the opposite, to be precise — 
for the love element not being added. 
When the latter Is Introduced, the educa- 
tional value of the finished product Is 
greatly depreciated. 

Films that treat the history In our own 
country serve to further promote patriotism 

30 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

in our breasts. The war now raging In all 
Europe can serve to substantiate my case. 
In Britain these historical pictures have 
acted as a stimulant to recruiting. Although 
I have no actual data to force my argument 
directly home, undoubtedly the pictures of 
our fight for Independence, and other wars, 
have ably demonstrated to us the price we 
had to pay for liberty. To reconstruct a 
battle Is more than child's play. Indeed, It 
is a proposition full of pitfalls. That only 
stands to reason, for It Is a page of life 
from the past, and the director, to introduce 
the convincing note throughout, must fur- 
thermore reproduce it true to life. 

As I have before maintained, he should 
not wander outside the history of his native 
country in seeking subjects for war spec- 
tacles. He has got his work cut out to 
produce a historical picture of his own 
country, without rambling abroad. 

Probably the most interesting thing of 
all is obtaining the correct types. It is not 
any earthly use producing a film featuring, 
say, George Washington, if the actor as- 
signed to the part looks it about as much 
as the m.an in the moon. The player must 
bear a striking likeness, whatever noted per- 

3 31 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

sonage he may have to portray. In most 
cases the players are picked mainly for their 
resemblance. 

Some time back an English company 
wanted to take a battle of the Nile film, 
but, owing to their inability to find an actor 
who would pass muster as Lord Nelson, 
they did not proceed further. 

To give the idea that there are two 
huge armies engaged when It Is not practical 
to employ more than a few hundred extras, 
requires considerable ingenuity on the part 
of the director. Their movements, when 
the uniforms of both armies are much alike, 
should not cause one to lose sight of which 
is which. A very excellent film I remember 
was marred because of this fault. 

It Is a good Idea of the film producers 
to borrow portions of Uncle Sam's army 
and navy, and I would like to see both even 
more extensively used, providing, of course, 
the necessary official consent Is forthcoming. 
There is no other country In the world that 
treats film producers so liberally as does 
our obliging Government. Before now I 
have come across good pictures that have 
been spoiled by the unmilitary-like appear- 
ance of the extras who filled In the battle 

32 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

scenes. It strikes me that a retired officer 
could do much to drill them into proper 
shape when the director is at a loss to find 
the right type of men. Those so trained 
could be regarded as specialists and thus be 
always available. 

I have seen soldiers, depicting Revolu- 
tionary times, marching along roads lined 
with telegraph-poles. Incorrect uniforms 
and sundry other errors have likewise met 
my gaze from time to time. All these 
things tend to detract from the historical 
value of such films. It Is clearly apparent 
that a military expert to supervise war films 
would be a worth-while move on the part 
of any manufacturing concern. 

In its own particular class the "Buffalo 
Bill" picture of the Indian wars was a 
masterpiece, for it was stipulated by the 
Government that If taken at all it was to 
be historically correct. This was practically 
assured, and afterward achieved, when those 
who played the Important part in the origi- 
nal battles likewise figured prominently In 
the moving-picture version. 



83 



V 

ARITHMETIC, SPELLING AND HAND- 
WRITING BY MOTION PICTURES 

1\ /["ANY have asserted that such subjects 
^^^ as arithmetic, speUing and handwrit- 
ing can not be taught by motion pictures. 
I beg to differ. 

In regard to arithmetic: On the magic 
white screen could appear a blank black- 
board, on which jump a bunch of jumbled 
figures. These would form themselves up 
into sums, and the numbers could be added, 
subtracted, multiplied or divided, as the 
case might be. 

Trick cinematography allows these stunts 
to be presented without the human agent 
being revealed. The only thing that might 
be said of this plan is that the "magic-wand" 
element might lead a child's inquisitive mind 
to wander, so, instead of paying strict atten- 
tion to the problem presented, he would 
wonder how the figures were made to move. 

I know of a producer who has gone one 
34 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

better. The motion picture appeals to the 
eye, and for this reason I am a strong 
believer in presenting the facts by pictures. 
Well, to begin at the beginning, this pro- 
ducer engaged a troupe of child players, 
who dressed and acted as teddy-bears. 
Their actions, assisted by oranges, enabled 
many arithmetical problems to be solved in 
a simple and pleasing manner. 

Another motion-picture photographer 
proposes to show the figure i to be followed 
by another figure i, who fights his brother 
to the death, the result dissolving into the 
figure 2. This performance may be con- 
tinued up to any desired number. 

All the foregoing suggestions are, of 
course, only suitable for kindergarten classes, 
but there Is no knowing the future develop- 
ments in motion-picture arithmetic. 

Spelling lends itself particularly well to 
visualized treatment. Suppose a troupe of 
acrobats were introduced in a scene and each 
member twisted his body In such a way as 
to form a certain letter of the alphabet. If 
these performers lined up In a row, they 
could spell words. This Is no theory; the 
idea has already been carried out by one 
film manufacturer. 

35 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Pupils, by this exceptionally interesting 
and effective way, would watch every move- 
ment of the actors and in this way readily 
grasp the lesson taught. 

Another way would be to show the 
common version of a misspelled word, 
which immediately fades into the correct 
spelling. 

If one visits the motion-picture theater, 
one must have observed how easily hand- 
writing may be taught by the films. Some- 
times a close-up view of an actor reveals 
him actually writing a letter. Take the 
Kalem trade-mark as another instance. 
Right across the film each letter is formed 
with a large, bold, invisible hand. There 
are also similar trademarks worth watching. 

Mr. Palmer, the author of the "Palmer 
Methods," Intends to adapt his system to 
motion pictures, and he has already had a 
film, three hundred feet in length, produced. 
In this picture he writes "West Des Moines 
High School" correctly on the blackboard. 
The points accentuated are these : The right 
writing posture both teacher and pupil 
should assume; the difference between writ- 
ing comfortably on blackboard, wall and 
desk. Incidentally, the minor details, such 

36 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

as holding the pen, pencil or chalk, are not 
neglected. 

The advantage of the motion-picture 
method is that the teacher's hand, which 
has been filmed close to the camera, is seen 
with equal clearness by every scholar, 



37 



VI 

PENMANSHIP IN MOTION PICTURES 

* I 'HE minor, but Important, details are 
^ often disregarded in penmanship. A 
player, for instance, sits down to write a 
letter. His pen glides over the paper at a 
sixty-miles-a-minute pace, and before you 
can realize it, he has completed a letter of 
moderate length, in neat handwriting. That, 
at least, is what is shown on the screen after 
he is through. 

No one wishes to be bored to death 
while a character is writing a letter, but 
there is a way of getting it over in a plaus- 
ible manner. 

In a recent photoplay an old man sat 
down to write a letter. He started making 
each word in laborious fashion, and every 
few moments the picture would switch to 
another portion of the action and revert 
again, until the epistle was completed. 
Then, when the note appeared on the screen, 
the spectators really believed he actually 

38 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

penned the note, so why can not the stunt 
be done in a lifelike manner on every 
occasion? 

Errors are also contained in the letters 
relatives write to each other, some being as 
brief as business communications. In real 
life folks write fairly long letters, in which 
they tell all sorts of family news. Each 
word consumes a foot of film, and it would 
therefore be out of the question to devote 
so much space to superfluous matter. A 
more effective method is to quote a para- 
graph that directly concerns the play. 

Then, there is the relationship in char- 
acters. A son writing home to his mother 
would hardly sign himself "Richard Dare,'* 
yet this is more often seen than "Your affec- 
tionate son, Dick." 

We certainly admire the dainty hands 
of the heroine, but our indignation is great 
when a large, grubby hand holds the letter 
on the film. These "inserts," as they are 
technically termed, are taken after the action 
has been completed, and generally some 
studio hand Is assigned the task. 

There is also the note which is written, 
under great difficulties. A picture which I 
viewed on one occasion showed the hero 

39 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

leaning against the bureau with his back 
turned. He kept two desperadoes at bay 
with one arm, and he put the other behind 
his back so as to scrawl the message on the 
bureau without them seeing his actions. He 
threw the note out of the window, and when 
it cut in on the film the writing was as good 
as if done under normal conditions. 

But this was nothing compared with 
another photoplay in which the heroine 
wrote a letter with a pointless pencil. 

The motion picture aims to be true to 
life, and the prevalence of these careless 
mistakes only serves to belie its claims. 



40 



VII 

PRINTED MATTER IN MOTION PICTURES 

rVEN the motion-picture makers can not 
■■— ' get along without the assistance of the 
printing art. Theirs is supposed to be a 
craft by which everything is visualized in 
pictures, but the fact remains that the 
photoplay producer is as helpless as a sink- 
ing ship in a storm, without explanatory 
matter. 

Take, for instance, the average motion 
picture. First the title and the maker's 
name are thrown on the screen, then the 
cast of characters, and, after about two 
introductory scenes, it is necessary to show 
a subtitle, or leader, as it is sometimes 
called, to throw light on what the characters 
are doing, their relations to each other, etc. 
This process continues at frequent intervals 
until the finis. 

The motion-picture players are very 
clever in conveying the meaning of many 
things with the aid of gestures and facial 

41 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

expressions, but these mediums have their 
limitations. 

We are not yet sufficiently versed in 
lip-reading to understand that the father is 
on the verge of ruin, by the lip movements 
of the players. Or that a lapse of ten years 
takes place. At stages like these, subtitles 
render invaluable assistance. 

There has been a hue and cry over this 
use of explanatory matter, we asserting that 
we go to see pictures instead of to pore 
over the efforts of printers' ink. So pro- 
ducers thought that they could easily bridge 
the gulf by having Father Time come out 
In a scene and chip off ten years. One 
other producer had the dialogue fade in 
the middle of the scene, when a character 
spoke. But all have been in the nature of 
experiments, and have never achieved any 
vogue, so once again the subtitle reigns 
supreme. 

Each word employed in a subtitle or 
other explanatory matter uses up a foot of 
film, consequently scenario authors have to 
explain things In as few words as possible, 
though they sometimes sacrifice clearness 
for brevity. These announcements are first 
printed In the ordinary way, after which 

42 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

they are mounted on cards and cinemato- 
graphed. 

Often explanatory matter Is adopted to 
explain the obvious. The adage about "any 
old port in a storm" holds good in this 
instance, for the lazy photoplaywright finds 
it the easiest way by which to put over his 
play. One photoplay, in which a young 
couple were married, introduced a subtitle 
to explain this incident. But when I came 
across the same situation in another, the 
newlyweds were shown leaving the house 
of the minister, and in the next scene was a 
close-up of the bride's hand, displaying the 
wedding-ring, which her mother was look- 
ing at. 

Sometimes directors are not overpartic- 
ular in regard to such things as spelling, 
punctuation and grammar. 

It often proves annoying to see the 
newspaper items. A player has only to 
pick up a newspaper for a moment, when 
he sees an important-to-him paragraph. 
Imagine any newspaper putting it on the 
front page. 

Then, there is the newspaper write-up, 
the headlines of which provide the desired 
information. But the first few lines of the 

43 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

text are allowed to remain, for atmosphere, 
presumably. These, in too many instances, 
have no possible connection with the head- 
lines. What the director does is to cut out 
the headline and then fill in the one of the 
author's concoction. 

Many of the faults of the misuses of 
film-printed matter may be traced to the 
film editor. When the negative is com- 
pleted and developed, all pieces are assem- 
bled and run off in a disjointed condition. 
Many stops are made to cut scenes and 
place them in their proper places, subtitles 
and other printed matter being added where 
needed. 

Sometimes he finds that the picture 
exceeds the standard length, so he cuts down 
the space allotted to the subtitles, and then 
we are annoyed that they do not remain on 
the screen long enough for us to grasp 
their meaning. 

He is also responsible for the dialogue 
subtitles appearing at the beginning of a 
scene, Instead of about the middle, thus 
robbing a photoplay of Its suspense, and the 
player speaking at the right time. 

A perfect photoplay has been defined 
as one possessing no explanatory matter 

44 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

whatever. But it is absurd to expect this 
while the motion picture proceeds along 
Its present lines. 

I have yet to see a photoplay get across 
successfully without printed matter, and, in 
my opinion, the aim of directors and photo- 
play authors should be to eliminate the 
prevailing defects, 



45 



VIII 

THE MOTION-PICTURE NEWSPAPER AS 
AN EDUCATOR 

TV/HILE there are thousands of news- 
^^ papers published, from Maine to 
CaHfornia, there are but several animated 
newspapers. They possess a great advan- 
tage over their press contemporaries in that 
they are not localized — they cover the 
important news events of the world. Con- 
densation, therefore, is brought down to a 
fine art, for all this huge stretch of territory 
is covered each week in two thousand feet 
of film, taking about half an hour to run 
off the screen. 

Like regular newspapers, the newsies of 
the movies have representatives in a town 
of any importance, and, as they have some 
sort of an arrangement with their British 
contemporaries, they are able to cover other 
continents. 

The work of the topical cinematographer 
is not easy. Indifferent weather may handi- 

46 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

cap him; a permit may not be obtainable; 
there is competition to reckon with; he has 
to work in trying places and there are 
inquisitive crowds to be handled diplo- 
matically. Under all these conditions he 
has to grind out the regulation sixteen 
pictures a second — the results will be farci- 
cal, otherwise. I well remember seeing 
an English royal procession film. The 
coaches and guards proceeded at a racing 
pace, instead of in the usual dignified way. 
The audience simply roared with laughter. 
The operator in this case must have lost 
his head and turned the crank slower, 
for this gives the reverse results when 
photographed. 

When the negative Is developed, it is 
edited by the picture editor, who cuts out 
the dead parts, prepares and inserts the 
descriptive titles and boils down each Item 
to its relative Importance. 

The motion picture Is far better for 
teaching children what Is going on than the 
ordinary newspaper, which often abounds 
with crime stories and other stuff objection- 
able to children. To sift out the bad from 
the good Involves much time and trouble, 
and even then the lesson is apt to prove dry 
4 47 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to the pupil, for much is left to the imagina- 
tion. 

But appeal to the eye with the help of 
a news motion picture, and a child will sit 
up and take notice. He will readily become 
familiar with prominent persons; see the 
havoc wrought by the European war; know 
the meaning of "preparedness," and so on. 
From their own lips children have told me 
that they have also learned how foundation- 
stones are laid, the launching of battleships 
and the damage done by accidents. 

The animated newspapers are also doing 
good work in the history field, for all events 
as they occur are preserved for the benefit 
of posterity, so that future generations will 
know what we were like. 

Even to-day, when a prominent person 
dies, the animated newspapers unearth a 
film and include same in the regular edition. 
President Wilson, for instance, was pleased 
to be presented, after his wife's death, with 
a film taken at a garden party at which 
Mrs. Wilson was present. 

Any film-exchange is at liberty to hire 
any topical desired, for a moderate fee, the 
amount of which decreases with the age of 
the film. 

48 



IX 



THE SHORTCOMINGS OF PHOTOPLAY 
ADAPTED LITERATURE 

T ITERATURE and the photoplay are 
■*— ' closely allied to each other, for by the 
former we read, while by the other the 
words are visualized into actions. 

More than ever the printed page is 
being drawn into the ever-gobbling net of 
the film. Many of the great classics have 
been adapted, others are in preparation, 
and fiction authors are reaping harvests by 
selling the film production rights of their 
novels and short stories. 

On the other hand, we hear complaints 
of the harm done as the result of the photo- 
play encroaching on the realm of fictiondom. 
It is certain that a thing can not do good 
to some without hitting others, yet the harm 
done, fortunately, is practically nil. 

First we have the libraries, who assert 
that there has been a big decrease in the 
demand for modern fiction. It is certain. 

49 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

that we fans can not do two things at once, 
and we prefer to sit through the "nutshell 
screen novel," in preference to wading 
through a mass of words to get down to the 
story. No doubt authors, publishers and 
booksellers alike have felt the draught, but 
they alone are to blame, for it is only the 
minor novel that is being affected. It has 
taught them that the public has learned to 
appreciate quality instead of quantity. Yet 
In the case of the adapted classics it has 
brought them good business. When one of 
these had been shown in a town, there has 
been a great run on the works both at the 
libraries and book-shops, especially the lat- 
ter. Many of us make our first acquaintance 
with the good things in literature at the 
picture theater. The publishers have re- 
sponded to this demand by issuing cheap 
reprints, which have met with a big sale. 
The storehouses of literature have been ran- 
sacked so much that few famous literary 
lights of the past now remain untouched. 
Now for some criticism on the work of the 
producers. Best results are never obtained 
by adapting foreign literature. I have seen 
versions of Dickens' novels, by American 
producers, that have failed to impress 

50 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

earnest students of his writings. The char- 
acters looked so truly American that they 
were mere caricatures of his creations. The 
same applies to the works of other scribes. 

Another thing, the Old World atmos- 
phere was lacking, except on those few 
occasions when a company has sent a troupe 
of players abroad for the purpose. This 
was overcome in many instances by faking 
exteriors In the studio, a practice that de- 
serves to be heartily condemned, Inasmuch 
as It detracts from the naturalness that Is 
the motion picture's greatest asset. 

I have seen, too, versions of French 
classics by English players whose portrayals 
lacked the elaborate pantomime that char- 
acterizes the warm-blooded French. I have 
therefore come to the conclusion that clas- 
sics can only be done justice by being pro- 
duced In the country of their origin, by 
native players. I also greatly deplore the 
tendency to modernize ancient novels by 
attiring the characters in present-day dress. 
It greatly annoys those spectators who are 
at all familiar with the literary work. Small 
but Important errors of all kinds have been 
the rule rather than the exception. 

If the screen Is to retain Its reputation 
51 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

as an educator, there must be no repetition 
of these serious defects. 

Few screen versions follow the original 
work minutely. The reason is not far to 
seek. In a lengthy novel there are no end 
of superfluous side-shoots that would ham- 
per the straightforwardness which charac- 
terizes the photoplay. But producers should 
not overstep their bounds by altering the 
main plot to suit their liking. 

In modern fiction the plot is secondary, 
but the screen portrayals provide something 
that the average film plot lacks. That is 
characterization, which, so far, is essentially 
the gift of the fictionist, and when the pic- 
ture is capably produced it gives us great 
enjoyment to take an interest in real-life 
characters instead of mere puppets, depend- 
ing for success on the personalities of the 
leading players. 

Many prefer first "seeing" the book 
before reading it. On the printed page the 
story starts in about the middle, and until 
the end is reached it keeps switching back- 
ward and forward. How much better, 
then, to have the story presented right from 
start to finish, as on the film. Besides, it is 
more easily followed, and the story that 

52 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

would take days to digest can be unfolded 
on the screen in an hour or so. 

This speeding-up process has prompted 
magazine editors to demand clean-cut stories 
that are devoid of padding. 

The film is also excellent as a biogra- 
pher, though our producers have hardly- 
utilized its great possibilities. In Europe 
much more has been done, and on a far 
greater scale, and pictures of Lincoln, Queen 
Victoria of Britain, Wagner, Anne Boleyn 
and Shakespeare call for especial mention. 

The success of such films depends much 
on obtaining a real prototype of the per- 
sonages introduced. This often proves a 
hard task and much make-up Is out of the 
question. In the case of Barker's "Sixty 
Years a Queen," the producers were at a 
loss to find a player to represent King 
Edward, and eventually had to resort to 
advertising In the London dallies, offering 
$250 for the services of such a man. 

Yes, It is certain that the photoplay Is 
doing a great service to literature, despite 
the bad points. 



53 



X 



SHOWING MOTION PICTURES IN OPEN- 
AIR SCHOOLS 

WHAT are the advantages of showing 
educational motion pictures in open- 
air schools? The motion picture is pri- 
marily an indoor form of entertainment, yet 
it need not be debarred from the open-air 
school. 

To Install motion pictures In an indoor 
school, it Is essential to set apart a room 
with plenty of exits, and other safety-first 
precautions, if the regulations regarding 
same are to be complied with. 

With open-air exhibitions there are no 
such regulations, consequently the prelimi- 
nary expenses are less and no special space 
Is necessary. 

Indoor shows are given in more or less 
darkness, which Is a disadvantage, since It 
places temptations In the way of pupils, and 
It is best to be on guard against lack of 
attention. 

54 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The outdoor show has one disadvantage 
— that of light. Most of the screens on the 
market are only suitable for presenting pic- 
tures In semi-darkness, so it behooves edu- 
cators to purchase the special type of day- 
light screen. I would point out, however, 
that more electricity is consumed in order 
to project ^ clear picture, 



55 



XI 



THE LIMITATIONS OF MOTION PICTURE 
EDUCATION 

\ 7ERSATILE as the motion picture Is, it 
^ is powerless to perform the Impossible. 
There is no such thing In this wide world 
elastic enough to be employed for every con- 
ceivable thing and occasion, so when we 
come down to the problem of applying the 
motion picture to education, we also find 
obstacles in our path. 

That is precisely why It can not oust the 
teaching methods at present In vogue — It 
can never be more powerful than a com- 
petent assistant. 

The best and most practical plan Is for 
the teacher to give the lesson first In the 
ordinary way, then to arrange for the exhi- 
bition of the film or films covering the sub- 
ject under notice. The picture should not 
be shown as at the photoplay theater, but 
the teacher, instead, should lecture on it 
and draw the attention of the pupils to the 

56 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

most vital points. In a film scene these are 
quite apt to be overlooked among the multi- 
tude of details. A lantern would also 
further facilitate matters in enabling explan- 
atory slides to be projected while the film 
is stopped at the necessary places, for film 
views can not be shown in a stationary posi- 
tion. The one disadvantage of the motion 
picture is that you can not elaborate on any 
point, for it changes over to another too 
quickly. 

There is danger, In the speeding-up 
methods governing the presentation of dif- 
ferent subjects in film form, of trying to 
cram too much Into a child's brain at one 
time. Some pupils possess greater intelli- 
gence than others, so I recommend not 
showing another picture until the preceding 
one has been mastered. At this stage the 
lights could be switched on and the pupils 
questioned, or assigned a composition. 

There might also arise a tendency on 
the part of pupils to grow lazy, when they 
have knowledge Imparted In such a simple 
and pleasant way. This can be promptly 
dealt with, should the situation be notice- 
able, by threats to cut off the motion-picture 
lessons. No pupil would want that to be 

57 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

done, so It should create much more enthu- 
siasm among the pupils in their other les- 
sons. English was generally thought to be 
one of the out-of-bounds subjects, but I 
want to set on record here that the motion 
picture is really of great help in this direc- 
tion. The letter I recently received from a 
girl of fourteen proves this. This is what 
she said: "At the grammar school which I 
am attending, I had a course to write a com- 
position from my schoolteacher about the 
red Indians. I had not heard very much 
about them, so it was not an easy task. One 
Saturday afternoon I went to a motion-pic- 
ture show and saw a picture of some Indians. 
They were having war with some settlers 
that had settled In some part of the coun- 
try. I saw how they fought, how they 
decorated themselves, how they earned their 
living and how they lived. It was a strange 
sight to see these redskins, but I soon came 
to know what kind of people they were, and 
I finished my composition in good shape. 
This is the reason why I could write my 
composition." 

But while the cinematograph is not so 
superior as is the text-book in getting over 
facts, it can impart a deeper meaning and 

58 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

relieve them of any dryness. Take, for 
instance, the Declaration of Independence. 
The events that led up to it could be shown, 
and appropriately closed with the historical 
incident itself. 

In regard to history and geography, it is 
a great pity that the photographic difficulties 
debar the filming of the interiors of historic 
buildings and such things as caves, for fre- 
quently the most interesting things are to be 
found under cover. In these details the 
teacher must fall back on lectures and text- 
books, 



59 



XII 

ARE SPEED-UP MOTION PICTURES OF 
EDUCATIONAL VALUE? 

T^EACHERS, as a rule, are much 
*• opposed to anything that savors of 
attempting to teach a pupil too much in a 
limited time. Long experience has taught 
them the receptive capacity of a child's 
brain. The invariable result of resorting 
to the cramming process is that it so con- 
fuses a child that he or she can remember 
little more than when it started. Happily, 
however, the motion picture has nothing in 
common with other hustling systems — it 
stands on a plane by itself. 

In the first place, let it be understood 
that the motion picture makes its appeal 
through the eye, which imposes no severe 
demands on the imagination of a child, for 
everything is presented with such reality and 
simplicity that no pupil of ordinary intelli- 
gence can fail to grasp what it sees with 
its own eyes. 

60 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Several demonstrative lessons may be 
covered at once, but each simmers in before 
another comes on the screen, so, at the end 
of the projection of several films, a child 
retains a clear impression of them all. 

I have heard teachers aver that such a 
subject as the stages depicting the birth of 
a plant until the flower blooms should not 
be shown in such a short period. In a few 
minutes a picture covers the growth of 
several months. This, they assert, when 
shown on the screen, gives a child a false 
conception of nature's work. Certainly the 
argument is a good one, but, looking at it 
from a broader standpoint, unless the 
growths were accelerated in this way they 
could not be shown at all. Neither is it a 
fake on the part of the film producer. The 
subject is covered in a perfectly natural way 
by taking a few feet of film at regular inter- 
vals. No child will look upon such films as 
the work of a fairy waving her magic wand, 
for explanatory titles Invariably precede 
each incident, telling that a specified time 
elapses between certain growths. 

Then, we have the scientific film. One 
of this type which I had the pleasure of 
recently seeing showed blood corpuscles as 

61 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

large as dinner-plates. These were at war 
with dozens of large microbes, which hit 
back at each other. These things were 
magnified no less than ten thousand times. 
Here is another example of what could not 
be done unless the insects were brought 
under the microscope and cinematographed. 
Faulty operating can do much to mar 
a picture, for, should the operator project 
the films more than sixteen pictures to the 
second, subtitles will not remain on the 
screen long enough to be properly compre- 
hended. On the other hand, instead of 
seeing people and things moving naturally, 
they do so at a ridiculous pace. Correct 
projection, therefore, is essential for the 
educational presentation of motion pictures. 



62 



XIII 

CONDUCTING SCHOOL MOTION-PICTURE 
CIRCUITS 

TN the motion-picture Industry new pro- 
-*• ducers spring up like mushrooms, and the 
ones that survive are those backed up by a 
scientific distributing plan. Exactly the same 
problem confronts educational bodies In 
adopting motion-picture education; they 
must worship system. 

A circuit of schools is highly desirable, 
because It Is more practical to purchase the 
films outright from a regular exchange than 
to hire same on every occasion. It Is also 
more reliable, for exchanges are prone to 
substitute one film for another. 

*'We need municipal circulating libraries 
of motion pictures," said John Collier, sec- 
retary of the National Board of Censorship. 
*'The city should own the films and rent 
them out to public schools, libraries, settle- 
ments and recreating centers. 

''When any school tries to get certain 
5 63 



MOTIOiN PICTURE EDUCATION 

pictures they find them 'on the road,' prob- 
ably in some distant part of the country, in 
such a circulation that it is impossible ever 
again to get any particular picture, after it 
has once started on its circuit." 

Obviously, therefore, establishing a 
school film exchange is the best solution of 
the problem, and in this connection the 
University of Wisconsin is the pioneer. The 
Department of Visual Education set itself 
up in business by purchasing 130 reels of 
films and eighteen thousand lantern-slides. 
Each of the 285 schools receives a set of 
eighty-five slides, and the seventy-eight 
schools possessing motion-picture projectors 
receive a reel of film in addition. 

The slides and films are changed weekly, 
so there is comfortable time to prepare 
children for same. When through with 
them, the school sends the parcel on to its 
neighbor, the only cost being about thirty 
cents for express. The State is arranged In 
territories, so as to facilitate distribution of 
the films. 

How such a system may be inaugurated 
is best gleaned from the plan followed by 
the California State Board of Education. 
The State Board collected all the suitable 

64 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

films from available sources and catalogued 
same in order that the schools could select 
any particular subject they desired. This 
service was also extended to apparatus. 

The experiments carried out by the 
London County Council are not without 
their practical value : 

"An educational series of films should 
be exhibited in the halls of six polytechnics. 
Each series would last forty-five to fifty 
minutes, and would be given four times 
during the day — twice In the morning and 
twice In the afternoon — between the hours 
of ten and twelve, and two and four, respec- 
tively. By limiting each performance to 
about fifty minutes, the children could be 
changed without difficulty. It would be 
possible for about one thousand children to 
be present at each performance. The appar- 
atus would be kept In each polytechnic for 
the first five days of the week, and be moved 
on to the next polytechnic on the Saturday, 
ready for use on the following Monday. 
We are considering the advisability of 
arranging for a large number of children 
to see the films on one occasion only, or for 
a smaller number of children to see them on 
more than one occasion. 

65 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

*'A large number of films will be sub- 
mitted for selection, and the same program 
will be used throughout the entire period. 
We have made arrangements for the list 
of films to be submitted to us for approval 
before the experiment is begun. Instruction 
will be given by teachers in the schools on 
the subject of the various items, both before 
and after the performance. A lecturer at 
the exhibition will not be necessary, as, with 
the instructions given by the teachers and 
the explanatory notes accompanying the 
films, the children will be able to follow 
without difficulty." 

But the difficulties increase when a school 
decides to give motion-picture shows on its 
own account. This fact debarred the Board 
of Education of Pittsburgh, Pa., from carry- 
ing out its film plans, as the city fire and 
insurance regulations were too expensive to 
be complied with. 

No other course is open than to set 
apart a special room for motion-picture 
lessons on the ground floor, which should 
be equipped with the regulation tip-up seats, 
screen, a fireproof operating-booth and 
plenty of exits. 

The most costly Item of equipment is 
66 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the projection machine, and $250 seems a 
lot of money to spend, since same will only 
be used about once weekly. The Iowa 
State College at Ames formed a circuit of 
schools, and, by defraying freight charges, 
any high school thus unequipped may hire 
a projection machine. 

Last, but not least, Is acquiring expert 
assistance, for motion-picture exhibiting is 
not without Its technicalities. The teacher 
could not operate the machine because he 
would have his hands full in lecturing to 
the film and In looking after his pupils. 

A regular operator could, of course, be 
hired, but as his services would only be 
needed on one day weekly, the expense 
would be out of all proportion to the ser- 
vice rendered. If, however, he could work 
a circuit of schools, his salary could be 
shared. 

The Iowa State College, for Instance, 
has on Its staff a consulting engineer, who 
renders assistance to schools In need of 
motion-picture advice. 



67 



XIV 

LIVING IN THE PAST BY THE MOVIES 

T TOWEVER good the printed page or 
•■' •■• still photograph may be In recalling 
the past, there Is nothing to equal or excel 
the film. The dead come to life again, 
and pleasant evennts In one's lifetime can 
be recalled. 

To begin with history first, the only 
way by which we can learn the history of 
our forefathers is through the historian's 
facile pen. Word-painting has Its limita- 
tions, and that is why we miss the actual 
seeing of things. 

But the camera can not He. What 
better sight could one have than to be 
treated to seeing, In moving pictures, the 
fight for Independence or the Civil War? 
I am not alluding to the historical pictures 
produced by the manufacturers to-day, for 
these are only based on history, but I refer 
to genuine films taken at the time these 
great events took place. Alas! the clnema- 

68 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

tograph was not thought of then, so these 
things will never become a reality. 

Then, again, what could be better than 
seeing our ancestors come to life again? 
How amusing it would be to see them in 
their quaint dresses, amid an archaic envi- 
ronment and the customs that prevailed at 
that time ! We could then appreciate the 
w^onderful progress we have made, while if 
there were films available, showing the his- 
tory of the United States from Puritan days 
to the present time, we should feel immense- 
ly proud of ourselves for descending from 
such splendid stock. 

This brings me down to the modern 
times. What about the events that occur 
day by day and are duly recorded by the 
cinematograph camera? Beyond their inter- 
esting us, nothing is apparently being done 
to preserve these films for the sake of pos- 
terity. Our Government has ordered films 
of the red Indians to be taken, but prac- 
tically no move has been made in other 
equally important directions. A good law 
would be to compel film producers to for- 
ward a copy of every topic they make to 
Washington, so that a permanent record 
may be kept. Far from resenting such a 

69 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

bill coming to pass, the producers would be 
only too willing to oblige. 

It would be indeed selfish to think of 
the present, for when we have served our 
allotted span on the earth, our successors 
will be naturally curious to know how we 
lived and what transpired In our lifetime. 
A hundred years hence the world will have 
progressed as it has during the last century, 
so what better medium for recalling the 
past is there than the versatile cinemato- 
graph? Children will have no need to be 
taught history and progress by dull books — 
moving pictures will reveal everything in 
actual reality. Thus will the fullest develop- 
ment of the film as an educational medium 
be reached. The sooner that this important 
matter Is given the attention it demands, the 
better. 

The producers have been very good In 
their laudable attempts to reproduce history 
and costume plays on the screen, but, how- 
ever excellent their efforts may be, they can 
not approach the real thing. But we can 
not overlook the marvelous character of the 
film actor's make-up. A lot depends on 
getting a double of a famous personage, as 
near as possible. Take, for instance, Benja- 

70 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

min Chapin, who has gained a reputation 
for his splendid portrayals of Abraham 
Lincoln. The same may be said of William 
Humphreys as Napoleon. 

For all this, one knows that he is only 
witnessing a rehash of the past, so they 
therefore fail to convince like the genuine 
historical film would. Even now, when a 
famous personage dies, his features have 
usually been caught by the moving-picture 
camera, and the animated newspapers revive 
the scenes, which are received with increased 
Interest and enthusiasm. This surely is a 
good proof of the necessity for the cinema- 
tograph to be utilized as a permanent 
recorder of history. 

France has already established a cinema 
archive for the purpose of preserving the 
most important public events taking place 
the world over, so why should we lag 
behind? 

Aside from the public side of the matter, 
even we private beings would do well to 
call In the film's aid. 

Let us begin with the baby. By having 
fifty feet or so taken of him In a natural 
way, and following this up with more fifty- 
foot snaps of a few years' duration until the 

71 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

child had grown up, it would enable the 
fond parents to revel in their offspring's 
happy childhood days. As for the grown- 
up youngster, how pleased he would be to 
hark back to his youth, when in the evening 
of his life. He could follow his progress 
from babyhood to manhood within twenty 
minutes. 

In their old age, parents are fond of 
relating the intimacies and happenings of 
family life, but it often happens that time 
has played havoc with their memories. This 
plan has already been followed by some of 
the wealthy families, who are taking care 
that the camera men are kept at work taking 
scenes about their estates. 



712 



XV 

THE STUDY OF ATHLETICS AND SPORTS 
BY MOTION PICTURES 

TN real life athletics put over their stunts 
"■- at such a rapid pace that a close-up study 
of their movements is out of the question. 

Photographs have been suggested as a 
way out of the difficulty, but it is seldom 
possible to catch a motion at the right time, 
while the motions would not be continuous. 

Motion pictures offer an effective solu- 
tion. To obtain films true to life, they must 
be taken at the rate of sixteen "frames" — 
or pictures — to the second. There are six- 
teen of these frames on a single foot of 
film, or sixteen thousand in the case of a 
one-reel production. 

Therefore, under these conditions, the 
study of athletics is just as far off as before. 
The only way out is to slow up the move- 
ments, which would seem an impossible task 
were not the motion picture so versatile. 

Cinematography reverses many things, 
73 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

so a number of athletic games like running, 
jumping and throwing the weights were 
filmed at the rate of one hundred frames to 
the second, which feat was accomplished by 
a motor attachment to the camera. 

In the studio is a peculiar kind of clock 
called a "chronoscope," and it is introduced 
in order to shov/ the time which elapsed 
between each motion. 

It contains but one dial, which Is oper- 
ated by clockwork. The face Is divided up 
into twenty sections, each one of which rep- 
resents one-twentieth part of a second. The 
chronoscope Is set in motion immediately 
the camera man turns the crank, and con- 
tinues until the motion has been completed. 

The film, when seen on the screen. Is 
projected at the normal speed. The results 
amaze, when the two methods are con- 
trasted; although the hurdler travels as fast 
as an express train, he Is made to walk 
along at the pace of an old man. When he 
leaps the hurdle, he Is as graceful as a bird. 

Harvard College has adopted the film 
as part of Its athletic training. The work 
is In charge of Percy Haughton, the football 
coach, who has had films taken of the teams 
at play. He has already been able to trace 

74 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

some of the weak points of his men to their 
source. 

In baseball, the New York National 
League has utilized the motion picture to 
stamp out all useless motions. With this 
object, pictures of the players in action have 
been taken. These are diligently studied, 
and the speed in which amateur and pro- 
fessional pitchers, catchers, batters and base- 
men work is therefore available. The 
method is so scientific that the exact time a 
pitcher takes in the wind-up, the speed of 
the pitched ball, the angles assumed by its 
curving, and how long the batter is in find- 
ing out he has banged it and making a start 
for a new base, the precise period the 
catcher takes to recover after taking the 
pitched ball, and then run 129 feet along 
the track to try to put out the runner speed- 
ing from the first base to the second — all 
these things are revealed. 

As to horse-racing, a French trainer has 
discovered that it is instructive to visit the 
motion-picture theater In order to see the 
races in which one or more of his horses 
have run. 

In 1 9 14 there was a dispute over the 
Derby — the English classic. ^'Bumping" 

75 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

and "boring" — foul play on the part of the 
jockeys — occurred, but many disagreed with 
the steward's decision, who stated that it 
did take place and disqualified the favorite. 
The motion picture, however, had recorded 
all these incidents, and thereby proved its 
vv^orth as a judge. 

In boxing, too, champions have found it 
instructive to have their efforts recorded on 
the film and self-criticize them when later 
thrown on the screen. 

In England, not so long ago, an attempt 
was made to instruct the amateur golfer in 
regard to the correct way in which to play 
his strokes. Accordingly, several famous 
golfers posed for a bunch of snapshots, but 
when these were put on a mutoscope 
machine in rotation, it was found that they 
lacked continuality. 

But all shortcomings were obviated when 
J. A. Taylor, five times world's golf cham- 
pion, consented to give a demonstration for 
the film, by which it was possible to follow 
every movement of the body, with the start 
of the swing-back until the follow-through 
was over. The predominant features of 
the pictures were the champion's marvelous 
driving and his excellent "putting" and 

76 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

''stymie" strokes. Several close-up views 
served to clearly show the right positions 
the hands and feet should be in. 

One peculiar thing about cinematography 
is that an ordinary quick movement appears 
ridiculously rapid when the film is shown on 
the screen. For this reason, Mr. Taylor 
did not work with his customary pace, but 
slowed down In order that his actions would 
get over effectively. This film, which only 
took fifteen minutes to show, taught the 
amateur more than he could have learned 
in weeks by any other method. 

I am also informed, on very good 
authority, that several professionals, when 
off-color, find the motion picture highly 
instructive. 



77 



XVI 

WHY NOT A ZOO FOR EVERY TOWN? 

A NY person interested In the welfare of 
■**■ animals must greatly regret that beasts 
and creatures of the forest, field, stream and 
air are penned up in such artificial places 
as zoos. While the animals do not suffer 
physical cruelty through their forced impris- 
onment, it Is certain that it causes them 
mental pain. To keep nature's creatures 
prisoners Is directly opposed to the law of 
mankind, no matter how good the intention 
may be. 

The zoo Is only a pretense made to 
deceive the animals into the belief that they 
are living under natural conditions. Rocky 
ponds for polar bears, and caves for bears 
and wolves, are but mockeries compared 
with their natural homes. 

They also suffer considerable discomfort 
at the hands of visitors, who overfeed them 
with unsuitable food, while children like to 

tease them. It Is all these unnatural things, 

78 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

and more, that contribute to the number of 
untimely deaths. 

After all, what are zoos really for? 
Mainly that folk can study wild animals, 
but this purpose holds no ground whatever, 
since this desire could only be completely 
satisfied by viewing them in their natural 
homes. Here they possess perfect freedom 
and are not conscious that any human being 
is in sight. 

How, then, can the long-sought-for 
problem be solved? The ideal substitute is 
the versatile motion picture. Just think of 
the many times it has transported people to 
the African jungle, and even to the strange 
creatures in the vast wastes around the 
North and South Poles. 

The men who film these natural-history 
studies deserve to be praised for the courage 
and resourcefulness they so often display. 
In the case of an unsavage creature like the 
fox, the motion-picture operator places a 
dummy tree or cow near his den. As the 
contrivance is hollow, and holes are pro- 
vided for observation purposes, he can film 
without being seen. But before he com- 
mences the actual work, he generally installs 
a motor, in order to accustom his quarry 
6 79 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to the clicking of the motion-picture camera. 

When, however, he is on the war-path 
of denizens of the jungle, he varies his plan 
and employs the most appropriate dummy 
animal. He also smothers himself with 
some vile-smelling liquid, which completely 
deceives the strong sense of smell possessed 
by the beasts. 

My idea is this: Abolish ordinary zoos, 
and deport all their occupants to where 
they rightly belong; then replace them with 
motion-picture zoos. From time immemo- 
rial the big cities have enjoyed the monopoly 
of the ordinary kind, whereas, if the refor- 
mation came to pass, every small town 
would be in a position to boast of a motion- 
picture zoo, with films of all kinds of 
animals, birds, insects and fishes known to 
be in existence. 

The most suitable place in which per- 
formances could be given would be the 
public library. The funds for same would 
be very nominal, and could easily be pro- 
vided for out of the taxes. 

The library could obtain Its collection 
by buying a positive copy of every suitable 
natural-history subject from the producers. 

At an appointed hour daily the whole 
80 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

collection of motion pictures could be run 
through for the edification of visitors, who 
would learn more in a few hours than in a 
thousand visits to the ordinary zoo, and, 
at the same time, find the new method the 
more entertaining of the two. 

A motion-picture zoo is as essential as 
a well-stocked library, and as the film plays 
such an important part In American life 
to-day, there should be no opposition, but 
support rather, on the part of municipal 
bodies. 



81 



XVII 

DOMESTIC SCIENCE BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

NOTHING seems Impossible by the 
motion picture these days, and there 
exist big posslbihties In the field of domestic 
science. Several of these possibilities have 
been converted Into accomplishments, and 
if these can be profited by, so much the 
better, for the path of the pioneer bristles 
with difficulties. 

Let us, first of all, take the selection of 
food. An Indiana meat-purveyor recently 
had a film produced entitled "Meat, and 
How to Buy It." This picture Informs 
housewives as to the different kinds of joints, 
the nutritive value and relative cost of same. 
The film advises spectators to avoid the 
choice cuts, which cost more, while the 
apparently Inferior cuts are seldom called 
for. 

Carving is a subject about which a 
housewife can not know too much. One of 

82 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the producing companies recently released 
for public exhibition a motion picture under 
the descriptive title of "Lessons in Carv- 
ing." 

The picture first shows a chef correctly 
carving a roast of beef. In front of the 
carver is the rib side of the roast, and he 
jabs the fork between the ribs just to the 
left of the center. He holds the knife in 
his right hand and makes long, even strokes 
In the direction of the ribs. 

The duck is the next subject dealt with. 
The neck of the bird faces the carver's left, 
and he places the fork in the side directly 
In front of him. To sever the leg he cuts 
right through the skin and flesh until he 
finds the joint. The same plan is adopted 
in removing the wings. 

He removes the breast meat by first 
cutting a long portion on each side toward 
the breast-bone, after which horizontal slices 
are cut In the direction of the center. 

The turkey is third. The chef just 
pierces the skin and continues the right cut 
around the leg, using the fork to break 
down the joint. With the next cut he divides 
the drumstick and second joint. A third 
cut, and three pieces are made out of two. 

83 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Then the breast Is attacked. The chef 
guides the knife over the shoulder and slices 
the white meat in the direction of the wing, 
from the breast. 

The chef discards his knife when coming 
to a ham, and, instead, uses one of a special 
type. The carver planks the hock end of 
the meat by his right, and drives his fork a 
little to the left of the center facing him. 
The chef severs a thick, wedge-shaped piece 
from the butt end, and makes a horizontal 
cut toward the right in order to obtain the 
desired slices. 

With films such as the two above 
described, many facts concerning domestic 
science could be portrayed in a more con- 
vincing manner than Is possible at a lecture, 
where much depends on watching the move- 
ments, which are seldom equally discernible 
from all parts of the hall. On the screen, 
however, all the points are emphasized In 
close-ups, and the person In the back row 
obtains as good a view as her neighbor 
seated In the front row. 

It Is perhaps significant that Miss 
Grauel, president of the Housewives' 
League of Cleveland, now uses motion pic- 
tures In conjunction with her lectures. 

84 



XVIII 

SPEAKING WORDS IN THE SILENT 
DRAMA 

' I 'HE photoplay is so often referred to as 

•*■ the "silent drama" that one is apt to 

form the impression that the actors merely 

move their lips when supposed to be talking. 

Not so awfully long ago, when realism 
was not the important factor it is to-day, 
characters were wont to say things before 
the camera which had no bearing on the 
situation. I well remember one photoplay 
in which the hero proposed passionately to 
the heroine. The scene was taken in a 
desert outside Egypt, and the heat was 
baking. Instead of saying "I love you. 
Will you marry me?" the hero remarked 
for the benefit of the director: ''For heaven's 
sake, stop the camera a minute. I can't 
stick it much longer. The darned flies are 
biting my eyes out." 

Another case occurred in staging a thrill. 
Mountain brigands were holding on grimly 

85 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to dangerous positions on the cliffs, when 
the villain complained about his boots. He 
was supposed to issue instructions to his 
band, but what he uttered was as follows: 
^Tm not going to climb this mountain with 
my pinched toes. I'm going to change my 
boots first." And he did! 

An historical production called for an 
execution by the ax-and-block method. The 
^'business" of the hero was to receive the 
ax from the headsman in order to feel how 
keen the edge was, but when this was being 
filmed the headsman chipped in with: "Han- 
dle that ax carefully, old top. It took me 
hours to polish it, and if you are not careful 
you will remove all the glitter." 

Instances like the foregoing were really 
quite common, and they got by the majority 
of motion-picture patrons. But the minority 
had to be reckoned with — the producers left 
them out of their calculation — and as they 
were deaf-mutes, their efforts could not be 
put to a sterner test. The result was that 
the deaf-mutes were provoked to laughter 
In intensely dramatic scenes. Sometimes 
they left the hall because of having detected 
bad language. Both indirectly and directly 
this was brought to the attention of the 

86 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

producers, who promptly took steps to 
abolish the grave defect. Signs were posted 
around the studio, requesting players to 
abstain from bad language in exciting scenes, 
while the director suddenly became strict. 
For all this, the players have no strict lines 
to adhere to — they say things that seem 
natural to the situation. If, for instance, a 
character is introduced to another, the first 
remarks: "Pleased to meet you." Should 
they meet a second time, the greeting is, 
"How do you do, Mr. Brown?" 

On the screen you may be greeted with 
such a title as "You are a coward." Now, 
unless the director uses this as a "line," and 
requests his players to put the proper 
amount of feeling into the sentence, it will 
not get across effectively. For this reason 
we are often able to catch such simple 
phrases as "Will you marry me?" 
"Mother," "No," "Yes." There is a tech- 
nique in pronouncing words so that they 
get across the screen, and the recognized 
rule is to divide single syllables Into two. 
This means that when a player exclaims the 
word "Father," he says It In this way: 
"F-ather." 

The Cincinnati Self-improvement Club, 

87 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

composed of deaf-mutes, decided to test 
*'Cameo Kirby" because it was a stage 
adaptation featuring the selfsame star — 
Dustin Farnum. After seeing the photo- 
play, the club reported that it had been 
possible to follow many of the dialogue 
passages. 



88 



XIX 

SELECTING MOTION PICTURES FOR 
CHILDREN 

' I 'HE mistake made In setting a high 
-'■ moral standard for photoplays has been 
In fixing It the same for the matured adult 
as for the Infant. This Is foolish In the 
extreme. Take, for Instance, the magazine 
field, where there Is not one publication aim- 
ing to appeal to all kinds of folks, from five 
to ninety. It can not be done, so that the 
only solution In catering to their peculiar 
needs is to run special shows with suitable 
films. 

The trouble now is that there Is not a 
big enough supply of films for children being 
turned out. There are something like one 
hundred photoplays produced each week. 
These are of all descriptions and lengths, 
but the number fit to show children Is 
pitiably small. The majority are quite In 
order for grown-ups, who are not at all 
impressed by viewing robberies, murders, 

89 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

cases of drunkenness and divorces, abduc- 
tion of girls, saloon and cafe scenes, and 
exaggerated love affairs. 

The censorship boards that have sprung 
up all over the country have sought to 
eliminate these. In so doing they have not 
had a grain of common sense. These are 
the facts of life, and are necessary vehicles 
by which to point out a moral. Let the 
producers turn out films expressly for chil- 
dren as well as for adults and the censor- 
ship boards judge them by the two stand- 
ards, and then they will be doing the right 
thing. 

Why haven't the film producers already 
catered for the children? The fault, how- 
ever, mainly rests with the exhibitors, for 
it is the duty of the former to study the 
needs of the latter. They frequently ask, 
in their printed matter which they issue to 
exhibitors, just what kind of films they pre- 
fer, and they are thus able to gauge the 
requirements of the majority. In no instance 
I know of has there been an overwhelming 
number In favor of films for children. It is 
only recently that special performances for 
children have been inaugurated by progress- 
ive exhibitors. The Strand Theater In New 

90 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

York City, the finest in the world, provides 
morning entertainments for youngsters on 
Saturday, and its example should be emu- 
lated by every exhibitor in this country. 

The producers receive occasional re- 
quests from mothers, calling for improve- 
ments in photoplays for children, but it can 
not be expected that they can act on same, 
when it is considered that there are twenty 
thousand motion-picture theaters in this 
country, which are patronized by millions 
weekly. 

If this reform idea is to be carried out, 
it must be done by every woman who has 
the welfare of her children at heart, right 
now, and in collaboration with the exhibitors 
in her community. Unity is strength, and I 
would suggest that a petition be got up by 
each mothers' club, signed by the members 
and the exhibitor whose co-operation they 
have secured. The petitions should be 
couched along common-sense lines, using the 
statements and arguments in this chapter as 
the basis. Increased production of fairy 
stories, refined comedies in which children 
are featured, and educationals of all kinds, 
should be advocated. If this is done, the 
exhibitor will agree to run those films that 

91 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

conform with the standard set, while the 
mothers, both Individually and in co-oper- 
ation with the club, will do everything in 
their power to make such shows and films 
a success. 

There are two things to be considered 
in the meantime; namely, roping in the 
wavering exhibitor and permitting children 
to attend the theaters as they are to-day. 

The exhibitor has pinned his faith so 
long to the ordinary shows that he is rather 
reluctant to experiment on special perform- 
ances for children or erect theaters exclu- 
sively for them, but much can be done by 
united action. 

It is, however, a grave action to bar the 
children from attending motion-picture 
theaters altogether. They save them from 
getting Into mischief In the streets. 

There are, It should also be remem- 
bered, good and bad photoplays as there 
are everything else, some of the latter run- 
ning close to the knuckle. In communities 
there are exhibitors who are not overpar- 
ticular what they show so long as they can 
get the crowds In. They often frame their 
advertising so as to appeal to the morbid 
and suggestive minded. 

92 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The best way to start out is to question 
children in regard to the classes of motion 
pictures they prefer. If these include Wild 
West plays, detective dramas and those 
dealing with the shady sides of domestic 
life, then it is up to the mother to poison 
his or her mind against them. 

After this, select the high-class theaters 
in your locality, and then only permit one's 
offspring to attend when they have desirable 
pictures. I do not think it advisable to 
permit a child to go unchaperoned, as there 
is a great temptation to favor the undesir- 
able shows. 

The Parent-teacher Association of Mis- 
souri expects, on Friday and Saturday eve- 
nings, when the children attend In large 
numbers, the theaters to exercise greater 
care in selecting the programs. When the 
parents in the audience see a photoplay 
which is not up to the standard set, they 
have the name of it published. They con- 
sider this sufficient without announcing the 
name of the theater showing it. 

The Minnesota Federation of Women's 
Clubs in St. Paul Is now securing the co-op- 
eration of Its members who attend the 
theaters in their localities, to report upon 

93 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the motion pictures shown. Using this as 
their evidence, they prevail upon the exhib- 
itors to co-operate with them. They offer, 
in return, to boost their theaters to the 
members, local schools, settlements, associa- 
tions, women's clubs and children. 

In Louisville a Censorship Board for 
Children has been inaugurated. To show 
that they mean business, a constitution has 
been formed and passed. This is to the 
effect that at children's performances only 
approved films shall be shown, while their 
efforts are directed in co-operating with the 
producers in turning out films expressly for 
children. 

The official board has been divided up 
into four committees. The Scenario Com- 
mittee is for the purpose of advocating 
photoplay writing In the territory and to 
aid writers by reading scenarios. If they 
deem a story worthy enough to be shown 
to children, they pass it along to J. J. Mur- 
dock, the executive manager of , the Keith 
circuit, who places It with one of the pro- 
ducing concerns. 

The business of the Library Committee 
lies In getting children to know and appre- 
ciate those films approved by the board. 

94 



i 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The Parent-teacher Committee has been 
formed to arrange with the numerous Par- 
ent-teacher Associations in Louisville for 
the formation of special motion-picture com- 
mittees. The work of the latter Is to per- 
suade both parents and teachers to become 
supporters. There is also a Publicity Com- 
mittee. 

By working along these lines, the? 
mothers of the nation can accomplish some 
really good work without seriously harass- 
ing the exhibitor or producer. 



95 



XX 

MOTION PICTURES THAT CHILDREN 
LIKE 

IT IS not hard to understand why so many 
* movements afoot for the solving of the 
child motion-picture problem have failed. 
It is one thing to place a program of films 
before a bunch of red-blooded American 
youngsters, and another thing altogether 
to please them. 

Most of the folk Identified with the 
uplift movement have taken a directly oppo- 
site course, while, had they adopted the 
middle one, they would have had results to 
show for their efforts. They have, for the 
most part, demonstrated no Intelligence at 
all in the all-important matter of the selec- 
tion of suitable pictures. 

The usual course pursued has been to 
eliminate all comedy and dramatic photo- 
plays, and never was there a greater mistake 
made. The business man does not permit 
work to occupy all his waking hours; he 

96 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

gets relaxation in some form or another. 
The same applies to children, who attend 
the motion-picture theater to be entertained 
and amused. 

I am prepared to admit that the film 
comedy is the weakest link in the industry. 
So many insipid productions, teem.ing with 
vulgar incidents, are produced, that the 
desirable ones are hopelessly in the minority. 
Crime is often made the subject of bur- 
lesque, and we must also consider those 
films which are above the heads of children. 

But youngsters want to be made to 
laugh. To quote Miss C. B. Watkins, of 
the women's clubs of the Eighth Minnesota 
District: *'Do not eliminate fun if it be 
clean. A good laugh always does a lot of 
good." 

Or, as a girl phrased it: "One afternoon 
I went to the friendly house, and when I 
came out I was sick to my stomach, I had 
laughed so much." 

If any one doubts the efFect of a comedy 
on children, he should attend a motion-pic- 
ture matinee and listen to the peals of 
healthy laughter when a really funny picture 
is occupying the screen. 

In the desirable class I would include 

97 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

comedies in which children are featured, 
cartoons a la newspaper comic section; in 
brief, those presenting wholesome humor. 

The dramatic photoplay has come in 
for more criticism than any other class of 
picture, yet nine out of ten youngsters evince 
a genuine admiration for same. Naturally, 
the dime-novel type of film is far from 
desirable, but there are many dramatic 
subjects that possess excellent qualities for 
juvenile audiences. To sift the good from 
the bad is not an easy task, and Miss C. B. 
Watkins' analysis is as good as any: 

"The actual act of a murder is seldom 
thrown on the screen, but portrayal of the 
following crimes is common: 

"Instigation by bribery to commit mur- 
der or other crime. This is much more 
insidious to the morals than an act of 
violence, whose very nature repels; kidnap- 
ping and assault, especially upon young 
girls; hold-ups; the destruction of buildings 
by the use of bombs; the enticement of 
girls for immoral purposes. 

"It seems to us that a safe rule to 
follow is this: 

"Eliminate scenes which the child is 
unlikely to see in every-day life, if they take 

98 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

a trend you do not wish his thought to take. 

"The elimination of sights with which 
all children are familiar in every-day life 
is unnecessary, for instance : 

"Do not condemn a scene because some 
man in it happens to be smoking. This is 
going too far. The fact of the smoking is 
incidental and the act is familiar, and there- 
fore does not impress the youth one way or 
another. 

'T should also add the play which over- 
stimulates the imagination by exaggerated 
dangers and adventures. Such plays are 
unwholesome. I should add, in conclusion, 
another film — the one that holds up to 
admiration the silly flirtation heroine. The 
moving-picture heroine can act like a lady, 
and frequently does, without losing any of 
her charms. Our girls mold their ideals by 
the plays they see, the books they read and 
the people they admire. Let us put examples 
of right conduct before them." 

Now for the viewpoint of the child. I 
questioned a number of boys, and all unani- 
mously declared in favor of the Western 
drama, because of the pretty scenery and 
thrills. 

These selfsame youngsters will not be 
99 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

slow in hissing the villain when he gets the 
best of it, and when the hero comes to the 
rescue they applaud loudly. Thus do they 
realize the difference between vice and 
virtue. 

Nothing pleases youngsters more than 
to be transported from the every-day world, 
and the further they can delve into romance 
the better they like it. It is for this reason 
that fairy stories prove so popular. Show 
them "The Sleeping Beauty," "Hansel and 
Grettel," "Golden Lock," "Three Wishes," 
"Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp," "Lit- 
tle Red Riding-hood," "Jack and the Bean- 
stalk" and "Cinderella," all of which have 
been filmed, and their little hearts will 
flutter with joy. 

There are educationals and educationals. 
I happened to know of a body in Chicago 
who tried out the wrong kind. The sub- 
jects were too deep, dealing as they did 
with microscopic natural-history subjects, 
such as the dining habits of caterpillars and 
the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Although 
no admission fee was charged, one small 
boy confessed he would rather pay a nickel 
in order to see Interesting pictures. 

Educationals like "Wild Birds In Their 
100 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Haunts," "Lady of the Lake," "Panama 
Canal," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," "The Decla- 
ration of Independence," "Yellowstone 
Park" and "How Plants Grow" possess 
genuine entertainment qualities, and do not 
make the child feel as though the educa- 
tional element is being forced down his 
throat. 



101 



XXI 

THE MOTION-PICTURE POSTER MENACE 

npHE plea for better motion pictures 
*'• should be extended to posters. This 
struck right home recently, for I have a 
married, friend who, preferring to act as 
her own censor, always accompanies her 
children when they attend a motion-picture 
theater. Not because the law in New York 
forbids children under the age of sixteen 
being admitted without a parent or guardian, 
but owing to the fact that her offspring can 
not be trusted to keep away from undesir- 
able shows. All a child has to do to evade 
the law is to wait in the lobby for some not 
overparticular senior to take him in. 

Before the mother had taken this neces- 
sary precaution her youngsters had gotten 
Into the habit of attending any motion-pic- 
ture show that appealed to them. It was 
hard to get them to distinguish between 
right and wrong, so It came about that they 
were fed on a photoplay diet of blood- 

102 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

curdling melodramas and suggestive com- 
edies. 

We knew that this was the case, because 
one day Will attempted to choke Alice, 
trussed her up like a barnyard chicken, and 
forced her to lie in the same position for 
hours. When their mother superintended 
their motion-picture visits, this sort of thing 
stopped for awhile. 

One sunny Saturday Will joined a picnic 
party, one of whom, a little girl, fell into 
the lake. She was rescued by a young man, 
who was unable to restore her to conscious- 
ness. Will, however, applied first aid and 
revived her, and when we learned of his 
good deed we asked him how it was he had 
a knowledge of first aid. 

"Oh, I saw it done at the movies,'^ was 
Will's prompt explanation, which went to 
prove that if the right kind of pictures is 
shown, only good can result. 

Shortly after this incident. Will dug a 
pit in the garden and was only prevented 
in the nick of time from covering Alice with 
earth. 

The next day Will's mother was passing 
one of the nickeldromes she had banned, 
and noticed a group of children glancing at 

103 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the sensational posters. Among the young- 
sters was her Will, and, as she discovered 
his source of inspiration, she promptly 
placed the theater out of bounds. 

What posters are fit for children to see? 
I consider these to be artistic creations, con- 
taining nothing sensational or suggestive. 
Perhaps the best method is that adopted by 
one of the leading photoplay-producing con- 
cerns, whose posters comprise several well- 
balanced photographs of the leading scenes, 
with an appropriate border. 

The better-class theaters, however, rely 
mostly upon a lobby display of stills; that 
is, photographs taken when the photoplay 
was put on. 

A photograph can not He, but the poster 
artist may permit his imagination to run 
riot and misrepresent a perfectly desirable 
production. 



104 



XXII 

CAPITALIZING NOTORIETY IN MOTION 
PICTURES 

I WOULD be among the first to complain 
•■• were the photoplay director to discard 
his excellent "realism first" slogan, but, like 
a good many other things, this (the photo- 
play's greatest asset) is at times sadly 
abused. 

What Is the divldlng-llne between real- 
ism and over-realism? In my opinion, it is 
perfectly proper for a director to stage an 
elaborate train wreck, because such an inci- 
dent is liable to happen in real life and only 
the question of dollars is involved. But 
once he causes the hero to make a parachute 
leap from the top of the Statue of Liberty 
to the icy depths of the Hudson below, a 
human life is placed in danger. 

We fans do not care for sensation for 
sensation's sake alone. We certainly admire 
the heroic deeds of the performers, but we 
do not like to see them carried to excess. 

105 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

We can shut our eyes to a faked effect, but 
each director seems to try to outdo the other 
in putting over hair-raising feats. Why do 
they do it? 

You do not find Mary Pickford, Lillian 
Walker, or like well-known players, asso- 
ciated with much daredeviltry. The truth is 
that the performers who take these chances 
are not actors at all; they are merely acro- 
bats. 

For a fee these ^'doubles," in which 
capacity they usually act, will carry out 
practically any stunt. They do not care a 
jot for police interference; in fact, they 
relish it because of the publicity — publicity 
of the kind which reflects discredit on the 
motion-picture industry. One performer 
who made a dive from Brooklyn Bridge 
was rescued from the North River by a 
police squad in boats. He was arrested and 
charged with disorderly conduct. 

These stunts are not carried off without 
personal injury; indeed, sometimes death 
results. But once they have recovered, they 
are off for adventures new. 

It was only by a miracle that one of 
these daredevils was saved from certain 
death in endeavoring to travel through the 

106 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Whirlpool Rapids, near Niagara Falls. He 
steered over the gorge safely, but when he 
arrived at the outer edge of the Whirlpool 
his engine refused to work. For five hours 
he drifted around in the treacherous waters, 
fearing that every moment would prove his 
last. The boat began to leak, and it was 
dark before the searchers, with powerful 
searchlights, brought him safely to land. 

I know of a man who, for a substantial 
fee, was willing to leap from the Eiffel 
Tower in Paris. When the time came, he 
found his parachute was not in good shape, 
and wanted to give up the stunt. The 
director, however, would accept no excuse, 
so the man made the leap at a fearful pace, 
which resulted in his death. The camera 
man actually recorded his mangled remains 
for insertion in the film. 

What effect do these films have on the 
morbid-minded? One film company recently 
received a letter from an ambitious actor 
who was willing to leap from the tower of 
the Woolworth Building. 

Unfortunately, there is a darker side. 
A Philadelphia man, inspired to emulate the 
movie feats he had seen, and obsessed by the 
desire to have his accomplishment brought 

107 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to the notice of producers, plunged from the 
Brooklyn Bridge. His dive — 216 feet — 
was a record one, but before attempting it 
he told his wife and friends of his intention. 
At first it seemed as though his plan would 
be Interfered with, for, when he stood in 
the center of the main span, two policemen 
rushed to stop him. The man, however, 
climbed up one of the cables, from which 
position he made his dive. His dead body 
was recovered from the river several days 
later. 

Another kind of notoriety Is employing 
the motion picture to exploit actual criminal 
cases. Suppose some crook or burglar is 
the talk of the hour. He will doubtless be 
persuaded by some unscrupulous film pro- 
ducer, for a consideration, to re-enact his 
crime for the film. The criminal hopes to 
Influence public opinion, while the fly-by- 
night producer thinks only about piling up 
his bank roll. 

Sometimes the boot is on the other foot. 
This occurred In the case of Mrs. Florence 
Carmen. Her trial expenses amounted to 
$20,000, so somebody spread the report 
that she Intended to portray the Bailey 
tragedy in a film. 

108 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

When asked for her reasons against 
appearing in vaudeville, Mrs. Carmen 
stated it was cheap and sensational, but she 
had sufficient good taste not to want to 
re-enact her crime on the film. Her ambi- 
tion, she admitted, was to appear in a 
society role. It is a significant fact that na 
motion-picture producer came forward with 
a contract. 

Some time ago a particularly unpleasant 
divorce case created a sensation in New 
Jersey. Corine, the wife, not only divorced 
her husband, Frank Hallack, without a 
motive, but also had him put in jail. Frank 
Hallack, to prove his innocence, declared at 
the time that he will be starred In a photo- 
play entitled "Trapped," which will depict 
everything from the time he met his wife 
until she divorced him. 

Another way by which producers some- 
times turn notoriety to profitable account la 
by putting on a photoplay after a sensational 
crime has been committed. The story of 
this Is so much like the actual case that 
were the names of the characters not 
changed you would take It to be a repro- 
duction of the crime Itself. 

An Instance of this took place with the- 
109 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Frank case, when a producer re-enacted the 
lynching details in a film. Fortunately, 
however, the censorship boards in many 
cities prevented the picture being shown for 
public exhibition. 

Do the exhibitors believe In pandering 
to morbid minds? No, emphatically no, so 
far as the majority are concerned, for they 
have no desire to see the motion picture 
stoop so low. 

We go to the motion-picture theater in 
quest of wholesome entertainment, not to 
revel in the tragedies of the every-day 
world. We get enough of these served up 
In the newspapers, so we are offended when 
they do succeed In gaining admittance to 
the screen. 

The menace comes from the mushroom 
concerns, who aim to make easy money on 
opportune occasions, so It Is well that we 
have producers, censors and exhibitors who 
have Ideals. 

The efforts of these concerns are not 
' sufficient to do the Industry an appreciable 
amount of harm, and I should not be sur- 
prised If the censorship boards throughout 
the country unanimously agree to taboo films 
of this kind. 

110 



XXIII 

THE PHOTOPLAY THEATER CRYING- 
BABY PROBLEM 

TV/HO has not, during an intensely dra- 
^^ matic moment in a photoplay, been 
suddenly reminded of the cold realities of 
life — all on account of a crying baby? Of 
course the mother strives her best to calm 
it, but, having again settled down to enjoy 
the picture, you hear those annoying sounds 
for the second, or possibly third, time. 

A crying baby in the photoplay theater 
is a pest; a pest because the very thing you 
visit it for — entertainment — is nipped in the 
bud. It is certainly true you do not have 
to listen to the players, as in the case of a 
vaudeville show or a stage play, but a crying 
baby, nevertheless, does distract your atten- 
tion from the white screen. 

The mother or guardian Is not wholly 
to blame. As likely as not, there is no one 
at home when she feels she needs relax- 
ation, and if the parent is not to be deprived 

8 111 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

of the pleasures she has more than earned, 
there is but one alternative — to take the 
baby with her. 

A child in arms can understand the pic- 
tures; a baby in arms can not, so it is super- 
fluous to consider the character of the pro- 
grams shown. The baby's feeble mind fails 
to understand what is taking place on the 
screen in front of him, and, as the mother 
endeavors to follow the picture, her off- 
spring becomes restless and commences to 
cry. The wise mother will coax the baby 
to keep quiet, by all the resources known to 
her, but she is, after all, but human. If the 
baby persists in crying, she realizes that the 
pleasure of her neighbors is being spoiled, 
and consequently leaves the theater. 

Why should spectators endure scream- 
ing babies? And why should the mother 
be practically compelled to leave the show 
before she has seen it through? 

We now come to the fountainhead — the 
exhibitor — who has in his hands the solu- 
tions to both problems. Since the decline of 
the nickeldrome many high-grade theaters 
have been opened. The program is not all 
when from a dime to a quarter is paid for 
entertainment — we expect some comforts 

112 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

thrown in. Many theaters end with a 
retiring-room each for ladies and gentlemen. 
To the unencumbered parent this adequately 
fills the need, but the mother in charge of a 
crying baby can not leave the baby to take 
care of itself. 

In the Bronx district of New York City 
is a motion-picture theater which possesses 
a nursery. A trained nurse is in charge, 
and every mother on entering has the option 
of leaving her baby in the nurse's care. 
Should the baby prove beyond the control 
of the latter, a slide is projected on the 
screen to the effect that the mother is 
wanted in the nursery. There is little 
chance of a baby becoming discontented, 
for there is a sand-pile, swings, rocking- 
horses, low chairs and a crib. 

Such an annex is required in every 
modern photoplay theater, and the expense 
would well repay the exhibitor, because 
many mothers prefer to keep away from 
the movies rather than be burdened with a 
troublesome baby. 



113 



XXIV 

OPERA ON THE FILM 

' I 'HE Invasion of opera in the photoplay 
''• world is not exactly new — it has been 
steadily pushing its way to the fore since 
19 13. In that year, when in London, I well 
remember attending a demonstration of 
kine-opera, the invention of Mr. de Caro, 
who succeeded in synchronizing human 
voices with the movements of the pictures. 
Many opera artists from the Scala, Milan; 
the Imperial Opera-house, St. Petersburg, 
and the Metropolitan Opera-house, New 
York, were seen singing well-known extracts 
from famous works. The scenes that the 
artists appeared in were elaborately staged, 
while there were both a chorus and orches- 
tra to support the principals. 

It was anticipated that Edison's Inven- 
tion, the kinetophone, would make grand 
opera possible, but It did not record in a 
natural tone or manner what the players 
said, as was anticipated. 

114 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

In 19 13 the Thanhouser Company filmed 
"Tannhauser." The famous opera rather 
lacked Incident, but was not in any way 
lacking in interest. The picture, with its 
lovely backgrounds and beautiful photog- 
raphy, was one of great artistic beauty. 
Miss Florence La Badie was captivating as 
"Venus." 

"Carmen" Vv^as first done as a three-reel 
subject in 19 13 by the Thanhouser Com- 
pany. The story was one that lent itself 
to filming purposes, and the director neg- 
lected few opportunities. Marguerite Snow 
made an enticing "Carmen." 

The Cines Company's version of "Car- 
men," produced in 19 14, with Marguerite 
Sylva in the title role, was based on the 
book. The players traveled from Rome to 
Spain in order to obtain the necessary Span- 
ish atmosphere, but the war delayed the 
release of same. It could not be shown In 
France because the rights to "Carmen" 
belong to the Opera Comique, and one of 
the negatives was lost on the "Ancona" 
when on its way to America. 

The year 19 15 saw the Lasky and Fox 
forces at work. The former captured 
Geraldine Farrar at a salary unprecedented 

115 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

in the history of motion pictures. Her per- 
formance was characterized by realism. 
She imbibed the true spirit of the title role, 
and when she returned to the Metropolitan 
Opera-house she surprised Caruso by her 
roughness. That slap on the face momen- 
tarily stunned her famous partner, who, 
during the third-act fight scene, found Miss 
Farrar none too ladylike. She attacked him 
with such vigor that he had his work cut 
out to protect himself. 

At the end of the embrace, Caruso, to 
get even, allowed "Carmen" to suddenly 
slip from his hands, resulting in her falling 
down. After the performance Miss Farrar 
and Caruso exchanged some hard words. 
Caruso pointed out that she was not in the 
movies, whereupon Miss Farrar suggested 
that he get another "Carmen." To this 
Caruso courteously replied that a repetition 
of the performance could be prevented by 
getting another "Don Jose." 

The Spanish atmosphere was obtained 
in Los Angeles, where the bull-fight was 
staged before an audience of twenty thou- 
sand, permission first being obtained from 
the city government. Twenty professionals, 
Mexican matadors and bulls imported from 

116 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the famous Madero ranch in Mexico added 
the desired finishing touches to a realistic 
production. 

"Carmen" was first shown in Boston to 
humor Geraldine Farrar, who is a native 
of that city. But it meant another con- 
quest for the photoplay, since Boston's 
famous home of music — the Symphony Hall 
— was acquired. This was the first time 
that photoplays were exhibited there. Miss 
Farrar attended the premiere performance, 
an orchestra of sixty accompanying the 
picture. 

"Carmen" might have been written for 
Theda Bara, for she certainly knew how to 
"vamp" in the Fox version, when her Rus- 
sian-French-Italian ancestry stood her in 
good stead. The picture was staged in New 
Jersey, where typical Spanish buildings were 
erected, and populated by about five hundred 
carefully selected Italians. 

Unlike many of her sister players, 
Madame Anne Pavlova did not journey to 
California in state. The Universal Com- 
pany took the studio to her when she made 
her debut in "The Dumb Girl of Portici," 
an adaptation from "Masaniello," Auber's 
famous opera. 

117 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Pavlova and her company were playing 
at the Midway Gardens, Chicago, during 
July, 19 1 5, and Pavlova simply journeyed, 
every afternoon, to Sans Sonio Park, near 
where a temporary studio had been put up. 
This enabled her to perform her regular 
ballet engagements without interference. At 
the end of her Chicago engagement, how- 
ever, the lure of California proved too 
strong and she traveled in a special train 
to Universal City In order to do the exteri- 
ors. Lois Weber, the director, could not 
have possibly selected a more suitable 
vehicle for Mme. Pavlova's peculiar talents, 
while the direction was admirable. 

Pavlova was not satisfied with several 
of the dancing scenes, and It was at her 
suggestion that they were retaken In New 
York. Even then, the dancer had to travel 
from Boston. On this occasion she objected 
to a red-haired property man, whom she 
considered a bad omen, and, bowing to her 
whim, the director dismissed him. 

*'The Dumb Girl of Portlcl" was first 
presented at the Globe Theater, New York. 
On the first night Mme. Pavlova was 
appearing In Salt Lake City, Utah, and was 
advised of the reception accorded her film 

118 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

efforts, by a special wire from the theater 
to her hotel. 

Usually the music is written for the 
photoplay, but "The Fall of a Nation" was 
written for the music, Thomas Dixon, the 
author, even preparing a special libretto. 
The original score was entrusted to Victor 
Herbert, who spent four weeks in Los 
Angeles getting a large orchestra in shape 
at the National Film Corporation's studios. 
Mr. Herbert worked in the private theater, 
and after each reel had been edited by 
the cutter, it was run through for his 
benefit. 

Each scene was treated individually, yet 
so skillfully done that the central themes 
and motives blended into a harmonious 
whole. Mr. Herbert got away from the 
patchwork idea entirely. 

"Hundreds of music lovers have told 
me," said Mr. Herbert in a newspaper inter- 
view, "that their pleasure In picture presen- 
tations was to a large extent spoiled by the 
patchwork character of the music. When 
the orchestra played, they heard bits of 
^Faust' or 'Tannhauser' or 'Traviata' or 
'Carmen'; the hearing of the music flashed 
pictures from those operas on the minds of 

119 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the spectators, and attention was distracted 
from the characters in the story." 

How "La Boheme" (Puccini's opera) 
came to be filmed is an interesting story in 
itself. Alice Brady saw the spoken version 
at the Metropolitan Opera-house, where she 
met the prima donna after the performance. 
During their conversation Cavelieri sug- 
gested that she appear as "Mimi" in a 
screen version of same. Miss Brady there- 
upon took up the matter with her director, 
who decided upon Murger's story as her 
next vehicle. 

Then Puccini, the composer, threatened 
an injunction for infringement of his rights, 
but when the picture was completed, William 
Brady, the producer, invited Nathan Bur- 
kan, the composer's attorney, and members 
of the Metropolitan Opera Company to 
attend a private exhibition of the produc- 
tion. After he had seen the film Burkan 
declared it too beautiful to be interfered 
with, and cabled Puccini that he was in 
favor of its being distributed. 

At Boston the picture was given its first 
showing at the Park Theater, where Miss 
Brady sang for the opera in connection with 
same. 

120 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

"Queen of the Roses," an adaptation of 
Leoncavallo's opera, "La Reginnetta Delia 
Rose," was given its premier showing at 
Candler Theater, New York. The orches- 
tra of the Metropolitan Opera-house was 
"raided" so as to provide fifty soloists. 

The picture was produced in Italy with 
an all-Italian cast, and the promoters staked 
more on the music than the picture, 



121 



XXV 



SPIRITUALISM BY THE FILM 

^ I 'HE motion picture has received but scant 
^ attention at the hands of spiritualists. 
This is all the more surprising when, as we 
all know, trick movie camera work can put 
over some remarkable spooky stunts. May- 
be the genuine spiritualist has purposely 
neglected the opportunity because it would 
bring about even more accusations of 
deliberate faking. 

However, about two years ago, in Paris, 
spooks were experimented upon with a 
motion-picture camera. The medium em- 
ployed was a Frenchwoman, who, for a 
period covering four years, had her seances 
recorded by four cameras, to which she 
could not gain access. 

The genuineness of this unique film was 
proven by showing every portion of the 
cabinet occupied by the medium, which 
revealed that nothing was hidden. 

The medium next entered, clad only in 
122 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

a tight-fitting, one-piece dress. Her hands 
and face were the only parts of her body 
left uncovered. She then sat down in the 
cabinet and the curtains opened and closed 
in turn, the hands being revealed all the 
time. 

After this came the spook stunts, the 
first of which were many-sized hands which 
hovered over the medium's head. 

Secondly, shoulders, heads, as well as 
complete human forms, floated in the 
cabinet. 

Then the spirit set itself free from the 
medium, moved about like a snake and 
disappeared into the medium. 

Baron Dr. von Schrenk-Notzing, a 
famous German authority, stated at the time 
that these tests satisfied the exacting require- 
ments laid down by science. 

Mr. J. N. Maskelyne, who has amazed 
Britishers with his spook demonstrations, 
is inclined to the opinion that the motion- 
picture camera can not put over his best 
illusions more convincingly than his present 
methods. 

I recall, in the fall of 19 13, when in 
London, seeing a photoplay which exposed 
the methods of fraudulent spiritualists. It 

123 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

was written and produced in England by a 
recognized authority on spiritualism. 

In brief, the story told of an heiress who 
was puzzled at a supplement missing from 
her father's will. She offers $25,000 for 
the lost codicil. 

A gang of charlatans get her in their 
power and persuade her to go through a 
seance. There she is much impressed by 
their methods, especially when she sees the 
spirit of her dead father through the magic 
crystal. This effect is produced by one of 
the gang making up as the father. 

When she asks what is in the codicil she 
is advised to invest $25,000 In the Motor 
Oil Company, a fake concern run by the 
crooks. 

What interested me more than the story 
was the exposing of the tricks of the trade. 
Little does the medium know that her hands 
are tied In slip-knots, or that the lower of 
the combined writing-pads used for record- 
ing the questions Is waxed, the writing later 
being reproduced on the other side of the 
curtain by using the graphite. The answers 
are written with an electro magnet. 

But what would surprise the medium 
even worse would be to learn that a tele- 

124 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

phone contrivance is hidden in her hair. 
This repeats everything to a man at the 
back of the curtain. 

It is only to be expected that a debatable 
production of this character would meet 
with opposition. The producers got their 
first taste of this when a committee repre- 
senting the North Midlands District Union 
of Spiritualists called at their offices. They 
insisted that the production was a direct 
attack upon spiritualism in general, whereas 
the producers assured them that they only 
exposed the fraudulent kind. 

The main objection raised was the title, 
"Spiritualism Exposed." The producers 
had already printed all the positive copies 
they needed to fill orders, while the posters 
to advertise same were already in the hands 
of exhibitors, so altering the title at the 
eleventh hour would necessarily be an 
expensive procedure. 

The company finally agreed to have 
slips pasted over the posters, making the 
title read, "Fraudulent Spiritualism Ex- 
posed." 

Whatever your views may be on spirit- 
ualism, when we get down to the domestic 
variety — ghosts — we are all Interested. 

125 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

A French landlord had the misfortune 
to own a haunted house in a lonely part of 
Lyons. His tenants were of the come-and- 
go order, for, as soon as they became 
acquainted with the ghost, which had the 
most unnatural habit of appearing at day- 
time in one of the rooms, they moved else- 
where. This ghost was a man so old and 
bent that it was with the utmost difficulty 
that he walked. He always carried a lan- 
tern and had a most pitiful voice. 

There came a time when the landlord 
had no tenants at all. 

He had what might be called the movie 
money-making instinct. "What an unusual 
subject for a film," he murmured to him- 
self. He soon got busy, but he discovered 
that camera operators who possessed suffi- 
cient pluck to undertake the task were at a 
premium. 

At length, however, his man came along 
and began his long vigil in the haunted 
room. He did this for six days in succes- 
sion; still no ghost appeared. He quit on 
the seventh day, when, strange to say, the 
ghost was on the job. Evidently he objected 
to the widespread publicity he would obtain 
if he posed for the movies ! 

126 



XXVI 

BIBLE STUDY BY MOTION PICTURES 

TS It possible to study the Bible by motion 
^ pictures? One's mind Instantly turns to 
such religious productions as "From Man- 
ger to Cross," "Samson," "Daniel," "The 
Star of Bethlehem" and "Joseph In Egypt," 
for an answer to the question. 

Biblical subjects require reverent treat- 
ment, consequently are full of pitfalls when 
produced by manufacturers of modern com- 
edies and dramas. It must be admitted, 
however, that there was no opportunity 
for faultfinding In regard to "From Manger 
to Cross." This masterpiece was produced 
in the Holy Land, and, as evidence of the 
pains taken, Sidney Olcott, the director, 
returned to America with a letter from H. 
H. el-HusseIn, the mayor of Jerusalem. 
Here It Is: "Mr. Olcott did not spare any 
effort to perform the production of the life 
of Christ on the original spots whenever 
possible, but in all instances gathered the 
9 127 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

best data and material as well as a most 
competent personnel of artists to attain the 
high degree of efficiency." The Turkish 
Government stamp proves the authenticity 
of the letter. 

The scene where our Lord takes the 
cross to Calvary, for instance, was filmed 
on the Via Dolorosa, the road of sorrows. 
*'Christ" fell down exhausted under the 
weight of the cross near the convent of the 
Sisters of St. Veronica. This piece of acting 
so much affected the nuns who were watch- 
ing, that all gave vent to weeping, one 
sister coming to the rescue with wine. 

Many scenes were taken in Bethlehem 
and on the Mount of Olives. 

"Samson," however, from a religious 
standpoint, was not so successful. 

There was a tendency on the part of the 
director to appeal to depraved tastes by 
strongly emphasizing Samson's lower life, 
while hardly touching upon his higher life. 

It can not be denied that Warren Kerri- 
gan was an ideal actor for the name part. 
He has the physique and made the most of 
his limited opportunities. 

One wonders how Samson managed to 
break the jaw of the lion with his bare 

128 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

arms, but, to quote from "Making the 
Movies": "The director had 'Jack of 
Hearts' handle the lion — the tamest one in 
the zoo — and then leave him. The camera 
was stopped while the lion was drugged, 
and, without any apparent break in the film, 
Warren was seen mastering the almost 
unconscious beast." 

No fault could be found with the cos- 
tuming or the settings, but the temple scene 
was a marvel of realism. The pillars 
looked genuine, and as they are pulled over 
one by one by Samson In his fury, one 
Imagines the "crowd" could not have 
escaped uninjured. 

The story was founded on the Old Tes- 
tament, the subtitles being quoted from the 
Bible. 

In one of the Important scenes, at Its 
trial run In the studio theater, appeared 
what looked to be a large bird above the 
skyline. 

"What's that aeroplane doing there be- 
fore the time of Christ?" commented the 
keenest one In the group. 

The director's oversight had been dis- 
covered, and It was deemed advisable to 
retake the scene. That error ran the com- 

129 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

pany into a nice extra sum. This instance 
is worthy of mention as showing the pains 
taken to insure correctness of detail. 

Before Lawrence Marston went ahead 
with "The Star of Bethlehem" he consulted 
several theologians, who helped him to 
decide several vital matters. One of these 
was, "What did the prophet Micah look 
like?" and he finally chose the picture of 
Moses on the mountain. He surmounted 
most other difficulties by following famous 
paintings. 

"In assembling our 'Star of Bethlehem' 
characters," said Mr. Marston, in speaking 
of his trials, "the problem of the age of 
Herod confronted us. Historical fact had 
it that he was an old man, and had it, too, 
that he was dead four years before the birth 
of the Redeemer. 

"Again, in the matter of the Wise-men 
the text of Matthew stated that 'Herod 
spoke to the Wise-men privily' — privately. 
It is hardly likely that a monarch who 
feared strangers as Herod did would have 
received three of them 'privily.' 

"And so it is that he who produces a 
picture on which he must go back into the 
ages for facts, must weigh all of them with 

130 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

common sense. The task of the producer 
of a Biblical story Is not an easy one, but it 
is Interesting and gripping by reason of its 
difficulties. The extra thought and care 
one must give to so Important an undertak- 
ing fill one with a high sense of the magni- 
tude of such a work." 

^'Daniel" was a worth-while production 
in every respect. The story was written by 
Madison C. Peters, who developed the char- 
acteristics In a praiseworthy manner. 

Courtenay Foote gave a dignified por- 
trayal of the younger Daniel, while Charles 
Kent, as the older Daniel, was equally con- 
vincing. 

The fiery furnace was erected after the 
most reliable data available were studied, 
and when Shadrach, Meshach and Abed- 
nego are seen stepping forth from the fiery 
furnace, not touched in the least by the 
flames, one marvels at the director's skill. 

Another elaborate setting Is "The 
Dream of Nebuchadnezzar," who beholds 
the great statue of gold and silver collapse 
and break Into thousands of pieces. The 
statue was modeled In clay first of all, then 
cast in plaster, a half a ton of which was 
used. Gold and silver paint were lavished 

131 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to give it the finishing touches, and, alto- 
gether, over $600 was expended. The 
statue stood to a height of twenty feet. 

What is the effect of these productions 
upon motion-picture audiences? Do they 
impress them to a favorable degree? 

To take one case: When *'From Man- 
ger to Cross'* was shown at a Pontefract 
(England) motion-picture theater, it at- 
tracted almost the entire population, and the 
Rev. W. Gell, the local vicar, took the 
liberty of stepping to the front of the house 
and calling upon the audience to keep silent 
during the projection of the film, which 
impressed them so much that the vicar 
followed it up with a short prayer service. 

Dr. Shriver, superintendent of the Immi- 
gration Board of the Presbyterian Board of 
Home Missions, visited a photoplay show 
which had "Joseph in Egypt'' as its attrac- 
tion. Among his neighbors were a mechanic 
and his wife, who explained the Bible story 
to him during the presentation of the pic- 
ture. 

As Dr. Brethren stated: "Doesn't that 
carry home one thought to you? 

"For years you have been trying to 
Interest the people In the story of Joseph 

132 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

in Egypt, bidding them to come to our 
churches to hear it freely. Here is a 
theater where people are paying money to 
see the story truly and entertainingly told. 
I do not propose to turn our churches into 
theaters, but I do call attention to the 
importance and value of this unconventional 
method of holding and interesting your 
congregations." 

All that Dr. Brethren says Is very true, 
but the difficulty is to adopt his suggestions, 
for it is only now and then that a Biblical 
picture is produced. 

The Rev. Dr. William Carter, general 
secretary of the International Peace Forum, 
in addressing an audience of motion-picture 
men, said: "What could be more dramatic 
than Elijah on Mt. Carmel with the 450 of 
the prophets of Baal, waiting for God's 
answer by fire to show the true from the 
false? What could be more thrilling than 
Jezebel being thrown from a window to the 
dogs below for her wicked and licentious 
folly? What could be funnier than Balaam's 
ass turning to tell his master to 'go fast,' or 
Eutychus falling asleep when Paul preached 
too long a sermon, and falling out of a 
three-story window, thereby breaking up the 

133 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

sermon and the congregation at the same 
time? 

"There is every element of the dramatic, 
the tragic and comic in these Bible stories." 

To-day is the age of the specialist, and 
t^ere are indications that several producers 
will arise to supply the present lack of 
Bib'* --I subjects. 

Already the National Bible Play Society 
has started work at Las Vegas, New Mexico, 
where the scenery resembles Palestine. The 
society's plays will be adapted from both 
t^-^ Old and New Testaments, but first the 
scenarios will be passed by an interdenom- 
inational board of ministers, so as to insure 
accuracy. These films will go the rounds of 
churches and Y. M. C. A.'s. 

Frederic Thompson, a well-known direc- 
tor of spectacular photoplays, provided he 
obtains adequate support, will picturize the 
Bible. He states that the undertaking will 
consume at least eight years, involving an 
enormous outlay. 

If the project matures, the stories will 
be selected by a "cabinet" of twelve mem- 
bers, carefully chosen from all walks of life. 
The players will not be "starred"; their 
identities will be concealed because of the 

134 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

tendenq^ to see a picture for the player 
alone. 

Each picture, before released, will be 
supervised by a censorship board of one 
hundred members. 

How Mr. Thompson proposes these 
films will be used in churches is that a min- 
ister will need one to illustrate his text, a 
library being established for this purpose. 



135 



XXVII 

PUTTING OVER SERMONS IN 
PHOTOPLAYS 

IT takes a long time for anything to live 
•■• down its bad name, but now the photo- 
play producers are endeavoring to break 
away from the unwholesome type of pic- 
ture. It still exists, it must be admitted, 
though the reputable producers, for the 
most part, possess ideals. They are not 
only out to entertain the masses with their 
dramas in celluloid, but to make them think 
as well. How do they accomplish it, then? 
Many young folks have been inspired 
with a determination to lead an honest, clean 
life as the direct outcome of a convincing 
photoplay. Take, for instance, "The Blind- 
ness of Virtue," which shows how wrong 
parents are in concealing the facts of life 
from their children. Many parents can not 
summon up sufficient courage to take their 
offspring into their confidence, whereas they 
would not object to accompanying their 

136 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

grown-up son or daughter to the local 
motion-picture theater showing the produc- 
tion. The subject is handled in a delicate 
way and removes the misunderstanding 
between parent and child. 

"Hypocrites" is another photoplay of 
great educational value. 

What is the difference between a motion- 
picture sermon and one delivered from the 
pulpit? I consider this is best summed up 
in the words of Rev. Dr. Harry W. Jones, 
of Spanish-American war fame. In resign- 
ing his pastorate in a Long Island town 
some time ago, he gave the following expla- 
nation: "I realized that I was wasting my 
time, for there are living characters whose 
actions as they unfolded their sublime story 
were far more important than anything I 
can say in the pulpit. A religious subject, 
tactfully and reverently treated, will, in my 
opinion, do more to advance the cause of 
religion and uplift humanity than a thousand 
eloquent preachers can ever hope to accom- 
plish by their oratory." 

Suiting the action to the word, he went 
into business as an exhibitor of educational 
and religious films, drawing patrons from 
his late congregation. 

137 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Another thing about the photoplay ser- 
mon is that it prevents folks from going to 
sleep, for they have to use their eyes, and 
the sermon is so attractively presented that 
the temptation is resisted. 

The average churchgoer does not always 
let a good sermon sink in, for he is of the 
"Man from Missouri" kind. The film, 
however, shows him the effect and cause in 
actuality, consequently the lesson goes right 
home. 

Naturally, church attendances are not so 
good as they were before the coming of the 
motion pictures, but the minister can cope 
with this competition by adapting himself 
to modern conditions. 

At the time the photoplay adaptation of 
"Les Miserables" was enjoying an extended 
run in Boston, Dr. Meyers, preaching at the 
Tremont Temple, viewed the production of 
his own accord. It impressed him so much 
as an educational vehicle that he delivered 
a twelve-minute sermon, concluding same by 
advising his congregation to see the motion- 
picture version of Victor Hugo's master- 
piece. 

But the method that commends itself to 
me is one whereby the minister can raise 

138 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the moral tone of the photoplay theater. 
Every now and then an exhibitor runs an 
excellent sermon production, and on such 
occasions the ministers in the town might 
get together and prevail upon the showman 
to hold a private advance performance so 
that they may preach upon same. The con- 
gregation will manifest the greatest interest 
in such a timely and interesting topic. The 
exhibitor, in return, gives advance publicity 
to the sermon, thereby inducing outsiders to 
attend the church service. If the plan proves 
successful, it will inspire the exhibitor to 
have such films figure frequently on his 
program. 

The minister who aspires to address a 
larger audience — the world itself. In fact — 
for his sermons, can obtain his heart's desire 
without having to resign his position, for 
there exists a demand for photoplay stories. 
I could name several pastors who have made 
good in writing scenarios In their spare 
time, but the leading exponent Is Rev. Clar- 
ence J. Harris, who has had over two 
hundred photoplays produced, and Is now 
scenario editor for one of the leading pro- 
ducing companies. 

Many ministers get the mistaken Idea 
139 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

that the motion-picture producers refuse to 
consider their efforts, whereas the reverse 
is the case. They know that the minister is 
able to study many phases of life at first- 
hand, but the mistake too often made is to 
write a photoplay with the sermon element 
foremost in mind. The average motion- 
picture patron resents being preached at; 
he must be tackled in an impartial way, and 
this is by weaving an entertaining story 
around a moral lesson of paramount impor- 
tance. The sermonizing value is not impaired 
in so doing. The minister would also do 
well to steer clear of religion, for it must 
be remembered that all creeds are repre- 
sented in the motion-picture theater and 
what might be in good taste for one might 
prove offensive to another. The producer, 
therefore, has to maintain a strictly neutral 
attitude toward religion. 

When a minister has had one of his 
photoplays accepted and produced, it is up 
to him to arrange with the local theaters to 
show the production, when he can deliver a 
sermon in connection with same. 



140 



XXVIII 

RAISING CHURCH FUNDS BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

IT has long been contended by many that 
•^ the motion picture does serious injury to 
the church. This belief is based on the 
assumption that the motion-picture theater 
takes away people from the church on 
Sunday evenings. There is no doubt some 
truth In the statement, but when a minister 
finds his congregation decreasing, he himself 
Is generally alone to blame. The habitual 
churchgoers are loyal because religion to 
them Is something sacred. There are many 
folks who are attracted by Inspiring music 
and good sermons, and when these things 
are lacking, they automatically switch over 
to the photoplay show. 

Some churches have gone so far as to 
Introduce motion pictures in their regular 
services in order to successfully combat 
outside Influences; others have utilized same 
to raise funds. 

To build a $20,000 church edifice with- 

141 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

out being a penny in debt is what the 
motion picture has accomplished at Bowie, 
Texas. "The Alerts," a Methodist Episco- 
pal Sunday-school class, had five months 
in which to raise the necessary funds, 
so they went into direct competition with 
a local photoplay theater. At first they 
volunteered to boost his business, but the 
exhibitor rejected their percentage propo- 
sition. 

Fred Paire, president of "The Alerts," 
thereupon rented a building in the business 
section and equipped same with a home- 
made stage and screen, borrowing the chairs. 
Then projection apparatus was purchased 
and films hired. The films were carefully 
selected, in order not to conflict with the 
ideals of the church, and still be sufficiently 
entertaining to attract the general public. 
Advertising space was taken in the local 
newspapers, and the movement aroused so 
much interest that clubs formed motion-pic- 
ture parties. 

Quite a few parish houses have been 
built, thanks to that "Good Samaritan" — 
the motion picture. Two pastors — one in 
Peoria, Illinois, the other In Milltown, New 
Jersey — found the one church building 

142 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

totally inadequate for their requirements, so 
they went ahead on a parish house, trusting 
to the motion picture to defray all expenses. 
Nor were they disappointed. 

Rev. Dr. James Donohue, of St. Thomas 
Aquinas Church, Brooklyn, obtained the 
money for a parochial school before the 
building had even been started. The vacant 
lot which he had in mind he converted into 
an airdrome. He provided one thousand 
seats, obtained the necessary apparatus and 
presented a five-reel daily program. For 
ushers and ticket-sellers he obtained the 
services of church-members. 

When the Epiphany of St. John's Epis- 
copal Church, at Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, 
was much damaged by a tornado, a repair- 
ing fund had to be raised. The aid of the 
local exhibitor was sought, with the result 
that an evening was set aside for a benefit 
under the auspices of the Women's Guild, 
the members of which sold tickets prior to 
the show. 

The Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, 
Locust and LaSalle Streets, Chicago, recent- 
ly had to wipe out a church debt. At one 
of the regular Sunday services a film dealing 
with religion In India was shown. The 
10 143 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

result was that the required one hundred 
dollars was collected. 

Over in England, at Nottingham, a large 
Baptist chapel found itself in financial diffi- 
culties, so it occurred to the management to 
rent the building to a motion-picture con- 
cern. 

The First Christian Church, Eleventh 
and Locust Streets, Kansas City, Missouri, 
has a separate auditorium accommodating 
eight hundred, which is equipped for the 
presentation of motion pictures. This may 
at any time be hired for movie shows. 

Possibly the saddest case is that of the 
Rev. W. B. Codsell, pastor of the Congre- 
gational Church at Westfield, Illinois. He 
found that his salary was totally inadequate, 
so he inaugurated a motion-picture show at 
his church. Some of the more narrow- 
minded members of his congregation de- 
clared that his shows taught children to 
^'emulate cowboys," consequently he was 
obliged to resign. 



144 



XXIX 

INCREASING SUNDAY-SCHOOL ATTEN- 
DANCES BY MOTION PICTURES 

^ I 'HE motion picture is not immune from 
•*• the abuses which have distinguished 
literature, consequently there are bad photo- 
plays as well as books which are not fit for 
young folks to read. 

To condemn a thing entirely because it 
is defective in some respects is opposed to 
American principles, so I can not be more 
fair than to dwell upon the desirable kinds 
of motion pictures. 

Motion pictures are very popular with 
children of all ages, and they particularly 
enjoy refined comedies, inspiring dramas and 
interesting educationals. 

There have been many influences to 
account for the falling off in Sunday-school 
attendances within recent years, and the only 
effective way to combat these is to utilize 
every possible modern method of enhancing 
the interest in lessons. 

145 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The motion picture has won its spurs 
because it can serve up dry facts in an 
appetizing manner. Bible lessons and the 
teachings of Christianity are made much 
more clear and interesting when told by 
motion pictures, which appeal to the eye. 

As a well-known preacher said some 
time ago: "You can teach a boy a lesson in 
Sunday school, but he is not interested, and, 
if he listens at all, he soon forgets what he 
has learned, while the lesson of the motion 
picture is not only intensely interesting, but 
it has a dramatic and lasting effect on the 
boy. If I could select my own pictures, I 
believe I could reform any bad boy." 

The Texas State Sunday School Associa- 
tion, at its 1 9 14 convention, held at Fort 
Worth, made a resolution to the effect that 
the motion-picture producers be encouraged 
to put out more educational subjects as well 
as Bible and mission pictures, as the supply 
was not equal to the demand, while the 
Sunday schools were resorting more and 
more to the motion picture as entertainment. 

Rev. C. F. Reisner, pastor of the Grace 
M. E. Church, West 104th Street, New 
York City, selects his programs from five 
thousand educational subjects. He does not 

146 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

show religious films exclusively, but also 
lectures to films which depict such subjects 
as cotton-growing in the South, and wheat- 
raising. 

Dr. Reisner is a pioneer in the church 
motion-picture field, and one minister who 
adopted his methods has increased his Sun- 
day-school attendance by eight hundred. 

In so far as Dr. Reisner's own Sunday 
school is concerned, he gave motion-picture 
entertainments to seventeen thousand chil- 
dren during the first year of operation. "I 
firmly believe," he said, "that these enter- 
tainments do as much to stimulate interest 
In Sunday-school work as anything else." 

Not so long ago the superintendent of 
the Sunday school attached to the Central 
Presbyterian Church, Rock Island, Illinois, 
Inaugurated a series of motion-picture shows. 
These are given on Friday nights, and only 
those pupils who have been regular In their 
Sunday-school attendance receive tickets of 
admission. 

The Rev. Oscar C. Helming, pastor of 
the University Church, Fifty-sixth Street and 
Madison Avenue, Chicago, has converted 
his Sunday-school room into a motion-pic- 
ture theater, In which he presents his picture 

147 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

program. He reports increased attendance, 
and the shows have had a marked effect 
upon the older children, in that they have 
stayed. 

All these typical instances go to prove 
that motion pictures are a necessary adjunct 
to Sunday-school work. The possibilities, 
however, in this connection, have not been 
fully realized, and the superintendent who 
is alive to these can improve his school. 



148 



XXX 

ALLOWING CHILDREN TO ACT IN A 
PHOTOPLAY THEY HAVE SEEN 

/CHILDREN enjoy motion pictures be- 
^^ cause they appeal to the eye and make 
education a real joy, instead of something 
to be dreaded. As children are never happy 
unless mimicking or describing something 
which they have seen, there is no reason 
why this trait should not be capitalized in 
connection with Sunday-school entertain- 
ments. 

Every child has his favorite motion- 
picture actor. I know of a party of four 
youngsters who play motion-picture shows 
every Saturday. The eldest sister Imper- 
sonates Mary Pickford because she has long 
curls; her sister likes to be Ruth Stonehouse; 
her brother pretends he Is Francis X. Bush- 
man, while his little cousin acts like Bryant 
Washburn. They do not play In their back 
yard, but. Instead, visit the best scenic places 
just like the real thing. 

149 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Up in Canada a class of schoolchildren 
went one better. They enacted a certain 
popular photoplay on the school platform 
under the supervision of their teacher, and 
the imagination and memorizing displayed 
were nothing short of remarkable. 

The coach of a Sunday-school dramatic 
entertainment will not find it an arduous 
task to present a production if it is one 
which his actors have seen at the local 
motion-picture theater. Any photoplay will 
not suit — that is obvious — and the selection, 
therefore, of a suitable effort, should be 
guided by the following considerations. 

Some photoplays are too melodramatic 
or vulgar for children to see. This leaves 
the refined productions. The average one, 
two and three part picture contains as much 
plot as a magazine short story. The feature 
production — in four reels and up — generally 
possesses sufficient story for a novel of 
moderate length, although it only takes an 
hour or so to run off the screen. 

Care must be exercised not to utilize 
photoplay adaptations of copyrighted novels 
or stage plays. There is perfect safety in 
adapting original photoplays or those based 
on copyright-expired works. 

150 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The successful photoplay used to be the 
one of action, but the tendency to-day leans 
toward perfect characterization. The all- 
action story is no doubt easier for children 
to grasp, but it is harder for the coach to 
stage, as deeds have to be replaced by 
words. 

After a story has been chosen and the 
cast selected, the players and coach should 
attend the local photoplay theater in a body 
and see the production over twice if this is 
possible. The coach, after the performance, 
should draw up a synopsis of the story and 
hand copies of same to the participants. 
Should dialogue be adopted to fit the situ- 
ations? When a photoplay is produced the 
players have no lines to go by — they say 
things that seem natural to the characters. 
Of course what they say is not heard, but 
as the child actors will have visualized the 
story, they might be allowed a little license. 

It will perhaps be as well to prepare a 
skeleton of the story in order to arrange 
the entrances and exits in proper sequence. 
The absence of the quick-change-of-scene 
elem.ent would make this necessary. 

This entertainment plan should prove 
an excellent drawing-card. 

151 



XXXI 

MISSIONARY WORK BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

T^HOSE few missionaries who have ven- 
-■• tured into the motion-picture field have 
good cause to be satisfied with the results 
they have achieved. 

Probably the most fertile territory is the 
Philippines, where the motion picture has 
succeeded in preaching, among other impor- 
tant things, the gospel of sanitation. The 
films, as shown before several wild Filipino 
tribes, contrasted the old, unhealthy way 
with the modern, hygienic one. In the case 
of one tribe, the Secretary of the Interior 
for the Philippines reports that roads have 
been built, rivers cleared, public order main- 
tained, hunting, slavery and piracy almost 
abolished, agriculture commenced, schools 
opened and barriers broken down between 
tribes. 

In Hawaii the American-Japanese prob- 
lem presents the greatest menace, and Dr. 

152 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Sidney L. Gulick is of the opinion that the 
motion picture is capable of Americanizing 
the Oriental population. He makes the 
following suggestions: 

"If the sugar plantations should com- 
bine, they might employ an expert man or 
two on each of the islands, who could visit 
the various plantations and villages, in turn, 
and in time completely transform the mind 
of the entire population. He should have 
courses of lectures and reels on American 
history — 'Colonial Times and Early Immi- 
gration;' 'The War of Independence;' 'The 
Civil War and Its Consequences;' 'Recent 
Immigration,' etc., etc. The education 
should also serve to acquaint the people 
with the principal events and meaning of 
European history — 'The Middle Ages;' 
'Feudalism;' 'The Reformation;' 'The Rise 
of Nations In Europe;' 'The Rise of Con- 
stitutional Governments and Democracies;' 
'The History of Liberty.* 

"But even more than this should be 
done. 'The Life and Teachings of Jesus' 
and the standard stories of the Bible should 
be displayed In such ways as to set forth 
the fundamental moral and religious concep- 
tions of Occidental civilization. 

153 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

"By the use of motion pictures (five 
cents to adults and free to children) the 
entire Asiatic population would be uncon- 
sciously swept into the circle of our Occi- 
dental life. Parents would move along with 
their children in their acquaintance and 
ideals. The chasm between parents and 
children, now dreaded, and to avoid which 
the Japanese schools exist, would be largely 
overcome. 

"The man to give these lectures should, 
of course, be bilingual at least. Adults who 
understand little English should be ad- 
dressed in their native tongues — Japanese, 
Filipino, Chinese, etc." 

Even in Japan much educational work 
remains to be done in regard to Christianity. 
When "Quo Vadis?" was shown in Japan 
under the auspices of the Protestant Episco- 
pal Board of Missions, it was seen by many 
distinguished folks, including members of 
noble families, rich merchants and people 
of the court who can not be persuaded to 
attend church. 

The photoplay brought home most con- 
vincingly the principles of Christianity, and 
there is no question that its indirect influence 
was felt. 

154 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

One persevering missionary in the wilds 
of Africa tried divers ways of gaining the 
attention of the hard-to-please natives, but 
failed in every instance. So, when a 
stranded American came along to the near- 
est township, and was glad to sell his 
motion-picture outfit for a mere song, the 
missionary decided to try the motion picture 
as a last resource. 

One night he rigged up his camp show 
near the village of the heathens and invited 
all the inhabitants to be present. Unfortu- 
nately, as it turned out to be later, all his 
films were slapstick comedies, otherwise the 
right kind of films might have rewarded his 
efforts with success. 

The natives were so astonished at first 
that they all stood up and then went dov/n 
on their hands and knees as if to show 
reverence. 

Before long they were literally laughing 
themselves to death, and became so unruly 
that the missionary had great difficulty In 
continuing the performance. 

He experienced a sample of the effect 
the films had on them when, about a week 
later, he came across a band of natives 
acting with great vigor what they had seen. 

155 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Particularly exciting were the chase 
scenes, in which the blacks chased one of 
the tribe whose face had been covered with 
white clay to resemble a white man. 

Things looked very serious when they 
staged the trick incident. One of the films 
had depicted a man brandishing his club on 
another man, only to find him suddenly 
disappear. 

To the amazement of the natives, how- 
ever, the victim remained where he was. 
Just as they were going to deal the victim 
another vicious blow, the missionary inter- 
vened. 

When their attention was eventually 
secured they were told that the thing was 
not done in reality. The fact that they had 
been deceived got the goats of the natives, 
who, on the next day, attacked the tent when 
the missionary was absent and completely 
wrecked everything, including the projection 
machine. They used the strips of film as 
articles of jewelry. 

But In the South Sea Islands, VIcomte de 
Geron, a Frenchman, runs a chain of 
motion-picture shows on the principal 
Islands, which are doing much to breed the 
spirit of content among the natives. 

156 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Outside of dances and feasts, the natives 
have no other form of amusement, so the 
motion picture came as a boon and blessing. 

The theater operator, at the first per- 
formance, blundered, which resulted in one 
of the reels of films running loose from his 
box. The natives did not know what to 
make of the incident, so they each purloined 
a strip of the film as a souvenir. 

To-day the natives attend as regularly 
and are as orderly as any American audi- 
ence. They are not, however, particular 
how old the films are. Those they see have 
first gone the rounds of a number of 
theaters in New Zealand. 

Apart from enlightening them in regard 
to how the civilized world lives, there has 
been less law-breaking since the advent of 
the motion picture. 



157 



XXXII 

TEMPERANCE AIDED BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

' I 'HE weaknesses of the human race are 
^ the raw materials which the motion- 
picture producer is so fond of serving up on 
the screen, and since partaking of intoxicant 
liquor is one of the predominant ones, he 
has not hesitated to effectively put over the 
harms of this evil. 

Neither the printed page nor the lec- 
turer's eloquence can approach the motion 
picture for hammering the lesson right 
home. What Is the reason for Its supe- 
riority, then? There Is, In the first place, 
considerable difference In the medium 
employed. 

The motion picture is absolutely the 
nearest you can get to real life. The work- 
Ingman addicted to the drinking habit sees, 
for instance, the havoc wrought by excessive 
drinking. The film reveals a home like his 
broken up — he Is dismissed by his employer 

158 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

and later his wife and children desert him 
through his brutality, and the drunkard 
finally winds up his career in prison. All 
this has been such a lesson to him that he 
reforms after his prison sentence has 
expired. 

The motion-picture screen has converted 
many a drunkard, and I can offer no more 
convincing proof of this fact than the case 
of "John Barleycorn," Jack London's tem- 
perance photoplay. When this was about 
to be put on the market, the liquor interests 
of the country offered the producer thou- 
sands of dollars if he would suppress the 
film. The offer, by the way, was promptly 
rejected. 

The immense popularity enjoyed by the 
motion picture has also had an uplifting 
influence upon the working classes. After 
the day's work is done, the husband natu- 
rally wants relaxation, and until the photo- 
play came along his haven of refuge was the 
saloon. The entertaining powers and cheap- 
ness of motion pictures proved irresistible, 
the result now being that the majority have 
gotten into the habit of dropping in at the. 
nearest show for an hour or so of an 
evening, accompanied by their wives and 
11 159 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

children. This is held to be directly respon- 
sible for the closing down of many saloons 
throughout the country. 

Over in Britain they have had a new 
form of the drink evil to combat with. In 
many towns the motion-picture theaters can 
not open on the Sabbath. Before taking 
action in Newark, a suburb of Nottingham, 
the Church of England Men's Society sought 
first-hand information on the matter in 
regard to the moral effect upon the popu- 
lation. The report received from the chief 
constable stated that since the photoplay 
theaters opened on Sundays the town had 
become so law-abiding that it had been an 
easy matter to deplete the police force on 
duty by one-half. Moreover, the saloon- 
keepers were doing their utmost to have the 
theaters closed, as they had experienced an 
alarming decrease in their receipts. 

The motion picture has also done good 
work in Germany. I can not give any 
latest figures, but I do know that over 
two thousand saloons quit business in 191 1, 
and also that each inhabitant per head 
drank between two and three litres instead 
of four litres, as had been the case in 
previous years. 

160 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



Does not all of this offer adequate testi- 
mony that the motion picture, through its 
far-reaching influence and excellent, thought- 
transference plan, has successfully accom- 
plished the work of a hundred Billy Sundays, 
although I have no desire to belittle his 
efforts? 



161 



XXXIII 

STAMPING DOWN CRUELTY TO ANIMALS 
BY MOTION PICTURES 

A T Cincinnati there Is an amusement 
**• place which corresponds to New York's 
Coney Island. When a Wild West troupe 
appeared there recently, the Humane officers 
made It their business to be present at the 
first performance and were rewarded by 
seeing two acts of cruelty. These were the 
bull-fight and a bucking broncho being 
forced to perform extraordinarily hard 
stunts, by using real spurs such as cow- 
punchers use. At the end of the show they 
had the show manager and his two riders 
arrested. 

But they had the proof with which to 
put over their charge. It so happened that 
an animated newspaper man was on the job 
with his camera, and his employers loaned 
a copy of the film to the Humane officers. 

The European war has done one good 
thing: It has stopped the decrepit-horse 

162 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

traffic between England and Belgium and 
Holland. Horses which had served their 
period of usefulness were exported from 
London to these countries, there to be con- 
verted into food. The horses were in such 
a terrible condition that the humane thing 
to do would be to shoot them before they 
began their journey. 

The Royal Society for the Prevention 
of Cruelty to Animals, in the early part of 
1 9 14, endeavored to pass a bill in Parlia- 
ment to stop the shameful trade. They 
wanted the public to feel as strongly on the 
subject as they did, so that the bill would 
pass. They therefore had a film produced, 
covering all phases of the decrepit-horse 
traffic. The picture, when first shown, was 
so harrowing that it had to be censored 
before being released for public exhibition. 
Having seen the film myself, I can vouch 
for its convincing qualities. 

It was intended to show the film in 
Belgium and Holland, with the object of 
influencing public opinion, but the war 
stepped in to spoil the society's plans. 

With the advent of war, the British 
Blue Cross Societ)^ came into existence in 
order to administer aid to the wounded 

163 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

horses on the firing-hne in France. Had 
not the society in such timely fashion come 
to the rescue, the prevaihng ineffective 
medical treatment of horses would have 
continued. 

The society, however, was sorely in need 
of funds, so the idea was conceived of hav- 
ing a short photoplay produced. The story 
was offered to exhibitors in the ordinary 
way, the local member in each town doing 
all in his power to attract folks to see the 
film. 

The various organizations for the pre- 
vention of cruelty to animals owe many 
thanks to the photoplay producers for put- 
ting over their "Be kind to animals" slogan 
in their regular productions. A typical 
example of this was presented in "Rags," 
in which Mary Pickford protected a dog 
which had been cruelly treated. 

Not so long ago the New York 
Woman's League for Animals was respon- 
sible for a two-reel animal drama, the 
unique feature of the play being the sub- 
titles, told in the language of the horse, 
who, by the way, acted with human intelli- 
gence. 

The Massachusetts Society for the Pre- 
164 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



vention of Cruelty to Animals later offered 
twenty-five dollars for a suitable scenario 
featuring animals and children, but bringing 
out why it behooves young and old to treat 
animals kindly. 



165 



XXXIV 

THE MOTION PICTURE IN SURGERY 
AND MEDICINE 

* I ^HE motion picture in surgery and medi- 
•■■ cine has not passed beyond the experi- 
mental stage. 

By the film a subject is covered in a few 
minutes, although the actual experiments 
may have involved hours of patient effort. 
Nothing is destroyed by the speeding up; 
in fact, it is an improvement, since many 
movements are brought to light which would 
remain unnoticed in the operating theater. 

Frequently animals are sacrificed for 
surgical purposes, but when this is done for 
the film only one such sacrifice is necessary. 
The negative records the experiment for all 
time, for positive copies may be struck off 
and distributed for simultaneous circulation. 
Moreover, the experiment is the same every 
time, consequently failures are practically nil. 

To quote Dr. C. H. Heydmann, speak- 
ing at a medical demonstration in London : 

166 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

"The value of cinematographic radiography 
lies in seeing the actual processes taking 
place in the normal body. 

"We shall be able to travel with a piece 
of bread, a potato, a morsel of butter or 
meat, a pill or a glass of beer, from the 
beginning to the end of its journey. 

"We shall see, through the eyes of the 
cinematograph, what each mouthful does to 
us and how it does it. 

"Then, and only then, shall we be able 
to draw our correct conclusions as to bene- 
ficial or hostile elements without having 
recourse to simulated conditions of the 
laboratory or rule-of-thumb therapeutics or 
dietetics." 

Dr. Doyen, who has produced fifty 
medical films altogether, is of the opinion 
that if the student sees a surgical operation 
on the film before viewing the actual oper- 
ation, he will be able to follow the latter 
with perfect comprehension. 

The College of Physicians and Surgeons 
intends using motion pictures as part of its 
course of instruction. At the first demon- 
stration, held in New York City during 
March, 191 6, five phases of surgical operat- 
ing were dealt with in a five-reel picture. 

167 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The chief subjects, the removal of a goitre 
in the neck and the removal of stones from 
the bladder, were handled by Dr. Eugene 
Pool, of New York Hospital, and Dr. 
Charles Peck, of Roosevelt Hospital, both 
of whom lectured upon them. 

The films were shown to an audience of 
two hundred in the tower lecture hall, in 
which a jfireproof booth was installed to 
accommodate the operator. 

How are surgical films produced? In 
the early part of 19 12, Siegmund Lubin, 
president of the well-known film company 
bearing his name, invented a machine which 
combined the motion picture with the X-rays. 
This machine enables a man^s digestive 
organs to be filmed. 

*'I do not allow any doctor to go out 
to the Philadelphia Hospital and take away 
patients to be photographed," Dr. Neff is 
quoted as saying in a newspaper interview. 
*'But such physicians as are attached to the 
staff are permitted to do so, if the patient 
does not object. If the patient objects, that 
ends it. But I have heard of no objections 
being raised, and the patients become inter- 
ested and enjoy the experience. It is a 
change for them. 

168 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

**Mr. Lubin has been good to us. Our 
motion pictures of microbes in milk were 
made at his estabHshment, and he placed all 
the resources at our command." 

I know of a Frenchman who actually 
succeeded in filming the digestive organs of 
a trout. This fish was put on a restricted 
diet which included flour, sugar, peptone, 
subnitrate of bismuth and water. For film- 
ing purposes he used a table which was 
provided with a glass pool at each end. In 
order to provide the necessary water to keep 
the trout alive. There was not an Inch of 
extra space in which the trout could move, 
and the top of the envelope was covered 
with a piece of paraffin paper. This tube 
was placed in the receptacle under the table, 
the camera being focused on the glass and 
operated by an electric motor. The trout 
was compelled to fast for two days in this 
cramped position, the constant flow of fresh 
water keeping it alive. This is known as 
the Carvello system. A special-sized film, 
the depth of which Is 2 3-5 Inches, Is used, 
and usually two thousand exposures per 
second are made Instead of the usual sixteen. 
A motor controls the X-ray camera, and this 
motor can run at whatever speed suits the 

169 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

subject. To cover an operation occupying 
days, the operator simply switches the clutch 
at the right gear, the result being that 
exposures are made at intervals. 

Attached to the machine is a box which 
contains the roll of exposed film and two 
reserve rolls. It has been found necessary 
to overcome lighting difficulties by using a 
cardboard box as a hood. In the center of 
this box is a tube which has a fluorescent 
screen at its lower end. 

Some time ago a German surgeon 
invented a machine called the bio-roentgen- 
ograph, which demonstrated some interest- 
ing facts concerning the stomach. In the 
film taken, the whole stomach was revealed 
at work, but when the animal subjects were 
excited or angered the stomach movements 
stopped. 

The general course followed is to supply 
the patient with some digestible food — a 
regular meal, in fact — mixed with bismuth 
or barium, to be opaque to the Roentgen 
rays, which are behind the patient. The 
camera, however, is- in front, where it 
"registers" the movements of the stomach, 
on negative stock larger than the standard 
size, at the rate of twelve exposures every 

170 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

twenty seconds. The positive copies printed 
from the negative are on the regular film 
stock. 

A motion-picture attachment to the elec- 
tro-cardiogram has been invented by Dr. W. 
Einthoven, of Leyden, Holland. 

The electro-cardiogram is operated by 
placing a tiny thread of quartz or platinum, 
the diameter of which is no larger than 
one-thousandth of an inch, in the magnetic 
part of a powerful electric magnet. At the 
back of the filament is an arc-lamp, where 
the motion-picture camera is located. 

Dr. J. Comandon, the famous French 
scientist, has produced several X-ray sub- 
jects, chief of which is "Radiography in 
Practice." In this several living subjects 
were treated, of which may be rnentioned 
the bones of the wrist, the hand in a rubber 
glove, side "close-up" of the knee, likewise 
the foot and the bones of the ankle. 

In "The Examination of the Stomach" 
were shown the methods adopted by the 
doctor in getting ready the patient's stomach 
for the X-rays, and we see how the Crookes 
tube, which discharges the rays, is worked, 
the patient imbibing the dose of bismuth in 
order that his stomach does not remain 

171 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

transparent to the rays, the Ruhmkorli coll. 
After this the patient's stomach is proceeded 
with. 

Dr. Comandon set a new precedent in 
the producing of these films. The studio 
scene was divided into two sections. In the 
first the regulation motion-picture camera, 
equipped with a quartz lens, was stood and 
focused through the opening in the parti- 
tion, which was dressed with a fluorescent 
screen. This screen was coated with calcium 
tungstate in order to affect the luminous 
radiation in such a way as to reduce the 
exposure. 

In the middle of the other section the 
Crookes lens was located and the object was 
placed in position midway between the tube 
and screen. 

Mico-cinematography makes It possible 
to descend the surgical ladder. One film I 
saw not so long ago showed blood corpuscles 
as large as dinner-plates. These were at 
war with dozens of large microbes, which 
kept hitting back at each other. 

Lieut-Col. Sims Woodhead, professor 
of pathology In the Cambridge University, 
recently delivered a motion-picture lecture 
before the British Royal Army Medical 

172 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Corps on "Microbes Worse than Wounds." 
The first film, "The Blood Circulation," 
depicted the path of blood in a tadpole's 
tail. The second picture, "Relapsing Fever," 
dealt with the injection of bacteria in blood 
and showed the sperochaetae swiftly gaining 
in volume. 

To quote from my book, "Making the 
Movies": "The lens of the motion-picture 
camera is focused through a microscope 
which magnifies objects from two thousand 
to seventy-six million times. The French 
companies who make a specialty of the work 
have fully equipped laboratories in which 
trained scientists prepare subjects for the 
film. Their work necessitates plenty of 
research, while much patience is involved in 
taking the films themselves. 

"The most exasperating thing about 
germs and microbes is that they persist in 
moving about in groups and have no respect 
for the limited area covered by the camera's 
lens. 

*'The photographer, to avoid this, gener- 
ally contrives to have them appear against 
a black background. The light at the sides 
is of two thousand candle-power and this 
is of only just sufficient strength for photo- 

173 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

graphic purposes. To make it stronger 
would kill all of the objects. The rays of 
this light are conveyed to the lens of the 
microscope." 

In 1912, Dr. T. H. Weisenburg, pro- 
fessor of clinical neurology at the Medico- 
Chirurgical College, Philadelphia, presented 
five reels of films dealing with nervous and 
mental diseases, at the Academy of Medi- 
cine. The leading picture introduced twenty- 
six patients for the purpose of demonstrat- 
ing dementia praecox, which was followed 
by cases of maniac depressive insanity, 
chronic mania, paranoid states, paresis and 
melancholia. 

As Dr. Weisenburg said: "We can take 
pictures showing the action of the heart on 
the surface of the body. We can show how 
In pneumonia a man breathes with but one 
lung. In fact, there Is almost no field of 
medicine which we can not touch with the 
motion-picture machine. 

"It Is an expensive process, of course; 
but the expense is more than compensated 
for In the results obtained." 



174 



XXXV 

DENTISTRY BY THE FILM 

' I 'O Dr. Cunningham belongs the credit 
•*• for opening the door to dentistry. As 
founder of the Children's Dental League, 
he realized that slides and lecturers were out 
of date. He wanted something so strikingly 
convincing that the lesson would go right 
home. Dr. Cunningham could have doubt- 
less obtained some victims of bad teeth and 
paraded them In circus fashion, but this plan 
did not please him. The scientific films he 
saw at the International Hygienic Congress, 
in Paris, convinced him that a film would 
enable him to cover much territory at once, 
show the harm wrought by defective teeth, 
at close range, and cover the subject thor- 
oughly in a short time. The cost, propor- 
tionately, would not prove prohibitive. 

He approached a leading French film- 
producing concern having a large laboratory 
for the production of educational subjects, 
and, arrangements being satisfactory to both 
12 175 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

parties, the producing of "How to Save a 
Nation's Teeth" was commenced. A whole 
year was consumed In the making, yet the 
net results were only two thousand feet of 
film. But that seemingly Insignificant picture 
depicted teeth as they grow from birth to 
adult age. The advent of the former stage 
was covered by the Symington radiograph. 
The lower and upper molars were shown 
working. This was done with the aid of 
clever models and still photographs. The 
second reel was given over to the ravages, 
for which microbes are responsible, arising 
from decayed teeth. 

Sweden was the first country to be 
honored with the film, which made Its debut 
before the Ministers of Civic Affairs and 
Education. For not holding the exhibition 
in a proper motion-picture theater, the police 
arrested Dr. Cunningham and imposed a 
fine. So he looked about for such a place 
and hired the Brunkelergsteaten, the most 
pretentious photoplay theater in Sweden. 
Here the film was shown to the press and 
four hundred delegates of the International 
Federation. 

Dr. Cunningham produced the film for 
general educational purposes, and not with 

176 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



the idea of teaching dentistry to those in 
the profession. 

Human interest was imparted to the 
film by following it up with a picture show- 
ing teeth-drill in a Swedish school. 



177 



XXXVI 

FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS BY THE FILM 

'HPHE motion picture has a mission besides 
•*■ providing wholesome entertainment. 
That mission Is to act as a crusader, and in 
fighting tuberculosis it has not proved disap- 
pointing. 

In presenting facts It sometimes pays to 
serve them up highly spiced, and especially 
Is this the case at the regular motion-picture 
theater. Folks go to be entertained, and If 
the lesson intended can be indirectly brought 
home to them, It Is more satisfactory than 
the direct method, which Is resented because 
no attempt is made to disguise the teaching 
element. 

The Edison Company produced, in 
co-operation with the Anti-Tuberculosis 
Association, a photoplay entitled "The Price 
of Human Lives," the success attained by 
which encouraged the Edison Company to 
produce another propaganda picture, "The 
Temple of Moloch," this time under the 

178 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

auspices of the National Association for the 
Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis. 

While both of these productions were 
circulated through the usual channels, copies 
of same were afterwards acquired by the 
Cincinnati Branch of the Anti-Tuberculosis 
League to further the sale of Red Cross 
Christmas seals. 

The films render able assistance in educa- 
tional campaigns conducted by local societies, 
and may be hired from a film exchange for 
a nominal fee. 

We will now pass to some direct cam- 
paigns which have borne fruit. No fault 
may be found with the direct method when 
such exhibitions are held free of charge, 
and the Atlanta Anti-Tuberculosis Associa- 
tion observed this factor in conducting a 
city health campaign. The films showed 
how the existing conditions in Atlanta could 
be altered to make it a more desirable city 
from a health standpoint. The pictures 
were lectured to by several w^ell-known local 
physicians. As a relief, several comedy 
reels were presented. 

TI)e exhibitions were spread over five 
weeks, a show being given for three consecu- 
tive nights in a different section of the city. 

179 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The tuberculosis movement in Great 
Britain has been assisted by two films; 
namely, "The Fight Against Consumption'* 
and "The White Demon of Consumption.'* 
The former was first shown at a recent con- 
ference of the Prevention of Consumption 
held in London. 

The latter was supervised by the 
Woman's Imperial Health Association, and 
we may profit by the experiences of the 
Bristol Health Board in regard to the extent 
of exhibitor co-operation. The medical 
ofHicer connected with same wrote thirty-five 
local, motion-picture exhibitors, twelve of 
whom replied. Most were willing to show 
the film free of charge, provided they could 
obtain the production at the same time as 
their competitor, and to this stipulation the 
Health Board agreed. To carry out same 
they hired messengers to take the film from 
one theater to the next. The rental charged 
by the Woman's Imperial Health Associa- 
tion was $15 weekly. 



180 



XXXVII 

"BETTER BABIES" MOVIE CAMPAIGN 

npHE home In which motion pictures are 
•*• not discussed Is becoming rarer every 
day. This tremendously popular form of 
entertainment Is ever spreading its tentacles 
— desirable ones albeit — and, as a natural 
consequence, the motion picture Is to-day 
playing an important part In our national 
life. 

All this tends to make the motion picture 
an even more powerful propaganda weapon 
than it was before. It is a family institution 
to which may be attributed the success 
achieved by the several "Better Babies'* 
campaigns which have been conducted by 
this eloquent medium. 

To commence at the bottom of the 
ladder, Chicago's Health Department some- 
time ago Inaugurated a motion-picture cam- 
paign for better birth registration. The 
scenario, "Somebody's Birth Certificate," 
written by Dr. C. St. Clair Drake, dealt 

181 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

with the stumbHng-blocks faced by a man 
because his parents neglected to register his 
birth. 

The Children's Aid Society once used 
a series of films, the most effective of which 
showed some flies attracted by a baby's 
bottle lying on the table. They settled on 
the nipple, after which a "close-up" of a 
fly appeared. Then the insect was subjected 
to a microscopic examination, the germs of 
diseases which he carried by his filthiness 
being exposed. The mother next entered 
the room cuddling her offspring. The pic- 
ture concluded by her giving the baby the 
nipple. 

The women and children comprising the 
audience could not restrain an exclamation 
of horror. What more convincing picture 
could there be than that? 

During New York City's "Baby Week'' 
in 19 13, Katherine Eggleston, of the Pub- 
licity Committee, while not neglecting the 
newspapers, paid particular attention to 
motion pictures. To this end she saw that 
the several animated newspapers did not 
neglect to cover the parades, outings, illus- 
trated teachings and prize baby shows. 

There was a Nursing Exhibition held at 
182 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Glasgow, Scotland, early In January, 19 14, 
a feature of same being the motion-picture 
mothercraft lessons. The following titles 
will afford some idea of the subjects treated: 
"How to Wash and Dress Baby;" "Tuber- 
culosis;" "Heedless Mother;" "Bacterio- 
logical Views of Milk;" "Different Food 
Effects on Teeth;" "Do Not Obtain Your 
Experience at Baby's Cost;" "Nipple with 
Bacteria Attached;" "The Wrong and Right 
Baby's Carriage;" "How to Help a Baby 
Upstairs." 

One of our leading producing organic 
zations recently put out a series of 
"fillers." The pictures were shown at 
the regular theaters In the ordinary way, 
thereby reaching more people than If shown 
under special auspices. The latter phase of 
publicity was by no means neglected, for 
the co-operation of the Children's Bureau 
of the Department of Labor at Washing- 
ton, D. C, was secured. New York City's 
19 1 5 "Baby Week" was augmented by the 
Chamber of Commerce, the Merchants' 
Association, the Federation of Women's 
Clubs, the Baby Welfare Association, the 
Sage Foundation and the International Pure- 
Milk and Food Association. 

183 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The material was furnished by Dr. 
Roger Dennett, the famous infant specialist. 
Each successive step is shown — bathing, 
feeding, dressing, measuring and weighing 
the baby. Then come the mental tests, and 
normal children are put through the senses 
of smell, touch, taste, sound and sight. 

The Missouri Federation of Women's 
Clubs, in conjunction with the State Board 
of Health, not so long ago paid particular 
attention to the baby problem. With this 
object in view they purchased reels depict- 
ing such subjects as insanitary and sanitary 
dairies, the proper way of handling milk, 
how to care for the baby and the trans- 
mission of disease. 

It was possible for any interested town 
to hire the reels by communicating with 
Mrs. H. R. Shands, chairman of the Health 
Committee, Jackson, Missouri. 

Those diseases peculiar to children — 
smallpox, measles and diphtheria — were 
traced to their source In a graphic series of 
reels prepared under the auspices of the 
Kansas Board of Health. Preventive 
methods likewise came In for attention. In 
the telling of each subject a story was 
unfolded. 

184 



XXXVIII 

HOSPITAL FUNDS THROUGH A FILM 
" VISIT " 

I HAVE often wondered why hospitals do 
*■ not adopt the most effective medium in 
order to secure funds. Need I add that the 
motion picture is the one I have in mind? 
It is not easy to persuade people to visit 
the hospital to show them how badly it 
needs financial assistance, and even though 
many folks prominent in local charity work 
may be attracted, the masses have yet to be 
reached. And their small contributions are 
not to be despised. 

Newspaper advertising seldom produces 
the desired results, for the announcements 
seem unconvincing in cold print. 

Perhaps a better plan is to inaugurate 
a "Tag Day," yet the same fails to Induce 
the "Man from Missouri" to loosen up. It 
has got to be proved to him that the hospital 
actually needs the money, and as one out of 
every five persons In the country visits the 

185 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

photoplay theater at least once weekly, this 
is the logical medium. 

The motion picture tells the truth as no 
other medium can; in fact, it is next best to 
paying an actual visit. Why not, therefore, 
have a film taken? 

The Mercy Hospital of Kansas City, 
Missouri, recently had a film produced so 
as to raise funds for erecting a larger home. 
In the film are many crippled little children 
formed in lines waiting for their turn of 
treatment at the hospital's clinic. Long 
rows of overcrowded beds and inadequate 
facilities for surgical operations and treat- 
ment also tell the truth only too well. 

Suppose the hospital is put in the movies, 
what would the cost be? It Is hard for me 
to answer this question offhand, because 
everything depends on the character and 
length of the production. But the most 
inexpensive, and at the same time most 
convenient to the exhibitor, Is the one-reel 
subject. The best kind of film Is that which 
"takes" folks through the hospital, as then 
no expense Is Involved In production other 
than the bare necessities. The average price 
Is fifty cents per foot, so, assuming the pro- 
duction Is a one-reeler — one thousand feet — 

186 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the cost would amount to $500. But, as at 
least one positive will have to be made from 
the negative, a further outlay of $100 is 
incurred. 

I know that $600 is a lot of money to 
spend in raising funds, but the increased 
funds that should accrue will justify the 
outlay. 

The Mercy Hospital arranged with the 
Advertising Film Company, on a fifty-fifty 
basis, to have their film shown in conjunc- 
tion with several one-reel photoplays in all 
of the theaters in Kansas City and vicinity. 

If the above plan is adopted, the pro- 
ceeds are not all, for spectators have 
received full value for their money, and 
those who are favorably impressed will 
contribute to the fund. 

Another plan is to persuade local exhib- 
itors to show the film free at their regular 
performances, and allow fund collectors to 
go around the audience after the picture has 
been shown. 

Local newspaper men should be invited 
to attend the production of the film, and 
later when same is released for public 
exhibition. Much valuable publicity is 
gained in this way. 

187 



XXXIX 

THE " FIGHTING INFANTILE PARALYSIS " 

FILM 

T^HE Infantile paralysis outbreak which 
•■• struck New York during 191 6 resulted 
In children being prohibited from visiting 
photoplay theaters. Whatever the exhibit- 
ors' feelings on the subject, the New York 
City Board of Health could not complain of 
lack of co-operation, for the exhibitors, 
almost to a body, exhibited slides suggesting 
preventive measures against the disease. 

The producers were no less alert. Prac- 
tically all the animated newspapers con- 
tained views of the principal causes that con- 
tributed to the spreading of the epidemic. 

The Universal Company went further. 
At an expense of $4,700 they produced a 
one-reel picture, "Fighting Infantile Paraly- 
sis," in co-operation with the New York 
Board of Health. Some of the scenes were 
filmed under the supervision of an expert at 
the Rockefeller Institute. For other material 

188 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the camera man worked with two health 
inspectors as far apart as South Broolclyn 
and the Bronx. The Willard Parker, 
Kingston Avenue, Seabreeze and Neurolog- 
ical Hospitals were also visited. 

In the picture the affected territories 
were shown with scenes of uncovered gar- 
bage-cans, near which children and cats play; 
fruit covered with fly-specks and touched by 
many hands before being finally eaten; dirty 
and crowded narrow streets lined with insan- 
itary push-carts, and how the street depart- 
ment takes care of the garbage and flushes 
the streets. 

Scenes were filmed at the Neurological 
Institute for the purpose of showing the 
methods adopted by Dr. Kaplan in handling 
the disease — douching the ears and nose, 
and boracic acid gargle, to name two typical 
incidents. 

Other vital features included In this 
highly instructive picture were the precau- 
tions taken by the Bureau of Infectious 
Diseases, the Quarantine officials and the 
United States Public Health Service. In 
this connection monkeys were experimented 
upon In order to ascertain how and what 
causes Infantile paralysis to spread. Chil- 

189 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

dren were also shown leaving the city for 
the country by boat and rail. 

Nor must I neglect to mention the two 
maps — one depicting the plague-spots of 
New York City; a larger one showing other 
affected parts of the country. The snappy 
subtitles, presented in English, Italian and 
Jewish, of the "Don'ts" kind, were com- 
posed by Dr. O. M. Leiser, of the New 
York Board of Health. 

Fifteen prints were struck off from the 
negative so that it could be shown at New 
York's eight hundred motion-picture thea- 
ters. Thirty-five prints also went the rounds 
of the several thousand theaters from Maine 
to California. 

But the co-operation of a powerful eve- 
ning newspaper made it possible to reach 
an even larger audience. Several two-ton 
motor-trucks such as are employed for 
army transport work were obtained and 
equipped for motion-picture exhibitions. 
The translucent screen, five feet wide by 
four deep, was placed at the rear end. The 
current for the projection machine, provided 
with a short-focus lens, was supplied by two 
calcium tanks. 

Each motor-truck contained a lecturer 
190 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

from the Board of Health, who discoursed 
while the picture was being shown to spec- 
tators. 

It is significant that other States and 
towns — South Carolina State Board of 
Health and Somerville, New Jersey, to 
name to — applied for copies of the produc- 
tion. 



13 191 



XL 

CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEALTH CAM- 
PAIGN BY MOTION PICTURES 

' I 'HE first spell of hot weather is the time 
■*■ for the municipal authorities to com- 
mence their public health campaigns, and the 
most effective medium is the motion picture. 
I need only refer to some of the results 
achieved in this connection, to suggest ways 
and means. 

As is perhaps logical. New York City 
has taken the lead. The first step in the 
*'clean-up" campaign, for which Commis- 
sioner Coldwater was responsible, was 
arranging with eight hundred exhibitors to 
show advance slides in their theaters. These 
slides drew attention to such subjects as 
flies, typhoid fever and care of the baby. 

This was followed up by twenty free 
motion-picture shows in the parks and on 
the recreation piers situated in New York 
City. The program in each case consisted 
of four reels of the sugar-coated kind, bear- 

192 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

ing the following titles : "The Story of a 
Consumptive," "The Production and Han- 
dhng of Milk," "The City Beautiful" and 
"The Little Cripple." Judging by the inter- 
est manifested by spectators, the stories got 
across, sure enough. 

Boston, too, inaugurated a campaign 
along similar lines, with this exception — the 
programs were not confined to health films. 
The other subjects shown were current news 
pictorials, refined comedies and animated 
cartoons, which resulted in increased atten- 
dances, the average nightly audience being 
from eight to ten thousand. 

The exhibitions were arranged by the 
Committee on Park Shows. 

St. Louis has adopted the plan for two 
successive seasons. Each park playground 
was equipped with a portable projection 
booth and a similarly portable screen, the 
gas-pipe frames making it possible to con- 
struct same with practically no delay. This 
screen was located fifty-four feet away from 
the front row^ of seats, but this space was 
not v/asted, as it came in handy to accom- 
modate children on busy nights. 

The mixed programs appealed especially 
to the foreign element, w^ho, for lack of 

193 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

funds, prefer to spend their evenings in 
stuffy tenements. The performances com- 
menced at 7 :45 and concluded about two 
hours later. 

These free, open-air exhibitions, I regret 
to say, are apt to antagonize the average 
exhibitor. This occurred at first both at 
Cincinnati and Nashville, but, instead of 
taking patrons away, these free shows 
actually produced extra business, converting, 
as they did, many folk to the movie habit. 

It is a regrettable fact that both forms 
of entertainment come in conflict, for those 
to whom a dime is nothing will favor the 
regular show, and consequently the hygienic 
pictures fail to reach so many people. 

It would not be worth while to hold the 
exhibitions during the morning or afternoon, 
since the majority of the population is 
otherwise occupied. Perhaps more satis- 
faction could be obtained were the co-opera- 
tion of the local exhibitors sought. 

I know of a showman in Marshville, 
North Carolina, who, of his own initiative, 
arranged a summer program. He set aside 
one night weekly for the showing of several 
health pictures, which included the following 
subjects: "The Mosquito," "The War on 

194 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



the Mosquito," "The Fly Pest," "Life in 
Our Ponds" and "Boil Your Water." 

I am certain that it would not be hard 
to prevail upon the exhibitor to do this, 
especially as he is assisting the community, 
and even were he not thus disposed, perhaps 
he would consent to run an occasional pic- 
ture of this kind in his regular program. 

What stands in the way of the v/ide- 
spread adoption of this medium is the 
scarcity of suitable subjects available, but 
even this fact need not deter one from 
carrying out one's plans, as a film can be 
produced along the desired lines. 

The Massachusetts State Board of 
Health, for instance, has had two films 
produced, the stories of which relate to 
unhealthy living In its chief forms, and the 
harmful effects arising from same. The 
photoplays are entitled "Bringing It Home,'^ 
and "In His Father's Footsteps," and the 
Board is prepared to loan these productions 
and supply a competent lecturer without pay 
ment, to any organization requiring same. 

Children can not be Interested In health 
and sanitation by the lecture or the litera- 
ture routes, but show them a film on the 
subject and they will readily understand. 

195 



XLI 

AMERICANIZING FOREIGNERS BY 
MOTION PICTURES 

W7H0EVER called America the "melt- 
^^ ing-pot" was right, for there Is no 
other country so cosmopolitan in character. 
It is no light task to merge all the different 
nationalities into one, but the greatest 
obstacle of all Is the difference of language. 
English, therefore, loses Its force; there 
must be a more powerful medium than the 
printed page and the spoken word. I have 
that medium — It Is the motion picture, which 
appeals to the eye. 

The Ford Motor Car Company has 
found it without an equal in increasing the 
efficiency of the foreigners In Its employ. 
The motion-picture department Is In charge 
of Frank Cody, who loans to the Detroit 
night schools films dealing with factory 
processes. 

The St. Louis municipal authorities made 
use of the motion picture some time ago 

196 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to educate ignorant foreigners and their 
offspring in regard to the main features of 
St. Louis in particular and America in 
general, the pictures depicting St. Louis, 
New York Zoo and American industries. 
The films were exhibited free in such suit- 
able places as a Catholic church, police 
station, Jewish synagogue and a public 
school. On the first evening over ten 
thousand children of Italian, German, 
Greek, Irish and Russian parents were 
present, along with their guardians. 

The National Americanization Commit- 
tee recently held a meeting in Philadelphia 
in order to stamp out "hyphenated Ameri- 
canism." At this important gathering was 
presented a series of films which dealt with 
the progress of the average immigrant, from 
the time he lands on Ellis Island until he 
becomes a full-fledged American citizen. 
The exhibition was given In the ballroom of 
one of the members' homes. The operator's 
booth was placed in the loft, the projection 
machine being focused on the screen at the 
lower end. 

But Pawtucket, Rhode Island, deserves 
the greatest credit for putting the motion 
picture to its greatest use. It is estimated 

197 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

that, of the 105,000 residents in Pawtucket 
and Central Falls, nine-tenths are foreigners. 
The Rev. J. D. Dingwall has established a 
Civic Theater, which has been praised by 
such prominent persons as the Governor of 
Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Commis- 
sioner of Education and the president of 
the North American Civic League for 
Immigrants. 

There is nothing commercial about this 
theater; it is mainly supported by the Amer- 
ican-born inhabitants of the two towns, 
foreigners being admitted free. 

The chief difficulty at first experienced 
— the theater has now been running for 
more than two years — was securing a reg- 
ular program of suitable pictures — pictures 
that were educating as well as entertaining. 
The tests made in this direction showed 
that war and Western subjects were greatly 
appreciated, but the Civic Theater carried 
out its ideals by including in its programs 
historical, biographical, sociological, hygienic 
and scenic subjects. 

Another difficulty was the explanatory 
matter being in English. At first the 
motion-picture manufacturers were asked to 
translate their English titles into Polish, 

198 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Italian, Syrian, Hebrew, etc., but the request 
was too impracticable to accede to. 

The Civic Committee, however, has sur- 
mounted the obvious difficulty by engaging 
several interpreters, one for each important 
language, who explain in advance the gist 
of the subtitles. Each one is given five 
minutes for his turn. 



199 



XLII 

INDUSTRIAL USES OF THE MOTION 
PICTURE 

^ I 'HE most striking feature about the 
■*• motion picture Is Its versatility. 

We have all to begin once, if we are to 
succeed in life, and hardest of all is select- 
ing a congenial vocation. Many a young 
man is like driftwood; he simply enters a 
trade without knowing in the least whether 
or not it will prove to his liking. After a 
few months he Is through and tries another 
job. All this valuable time is wasted and 
the youth gets discouraged before he has 
hardly begun, yet If he could be but shown 
beforehand the Inner workings of the trades 
in which he is interested, he could easily 
select the one for which he is best adapted, 
without the slightest misstep. 

The motion picture, appealing as it does 
to the eye, is the most perfect teacher 
extant. This medium of training need not 
be confined to any particular trade, though, 

200 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

of course, those that readily lend themselves 
to visualized treatment prove the most 
effective. 

The Bureau of Commercial Economics 
has the subject under consideration, and, if 
plans formulate, trade-teaching films will be 
shown in such places as public institutions, 
schools, missions, settlement houses, parks 
and playgrounds. The expenses will be pro- 
vided by endowment funds and annuities. 

The Carnegie Institute of Technology, 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, teaches the steel 
industry by motion pictures. You may judge 
how completely the subject is covered, by 
the title of the pictures: "From Iron Ore 
to Finished Steel." The series first takes 
us to the Meseba district of Minnesota, 
where the largest ore mine, "Hell Rust," is 
situated. We are shown the mammoth 
steam-shovels digging ore, which is shipped 
on large freighters at Duluth and unloaded 
at Conneaut, Ohio. After this a visit is 
paid to Farrell, Pennsylvania, and the works 
of the United States Steel Corporation vis- 
ited. Then follow all the details of steel- 
making, as well as the by-products. 

The schedule arranged by the College 
of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, 

201 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Lexington, Kentucky, for Its motion-picture 
course Includes the following subjects: "The 
Natural Resources of the Canadian Rocky 
Mountains," "The Construction and Opera- 
tion of the Panama Canal," "Electrification 
of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Rail- 
road," "Motor Construction and Direct 
Motor Drive," "Schenectady Works of the 
General Electric Company," "Pittsfield 
Works of the General Electric Company," 
^'Manufacture of Curtis Steam-turbines," 
^'Mining of Ore," "Making Wire and Wire 
Fencing," "Manufacture of Pipe Tubes and 
Pipe Fittings," "Use of Concrete in Road- 
making," "Manufacture of Steel, Tin Plate 
and Tin Products," "America In the Mak- 
ing," "Playground and Welfare Work," 
"Carnegie Steel Company," "Welfare Work 
in Mining Districts." 

The Prussian Ministry of Education, 
before the war, Introduced the motion pic- 
ture as an instructor In the high schools. 
One of the lectures given by Herr Kessner, 
the constructional engineer at the Royal 
High Technical School of Charlottenburg, 
dealt with "The World Power of Iron." 
The films accompanying same were taken in 
the Krupp works. 

202 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Films have also been taken of the steel- 
works of William Jessop & Sons, of Shef- 
field, England, and as this concern manu- 
factures everything from pen nibs to huge 
castings for battleships, much ground is 
covered. The pictures proved highly instruc- 
tive to members of the Bradford Engineer- 
ing Society, when exhibited in connection 
with a lecture. 

Architecture has been extensively dealt 
with in Great Britain by the Architecture 
Association. The film-lecture course com- 
prises the following subjects: process of 
making hand-made bricks, the quarrying and 
working of Portland stone, manufacture of 
a ferro-concrete pile, complete operation of 
making a door, method of producing fibrous 
plaster work. 

The experiences of the association may 
be summarized as follows: 

"(i) It appears to us that. In order to 
be of use In a technical Institution, the films 
must be specially prepared for the purpose, 
and with a full recognition of educational 
requirements. They must comply with the 
fundamental requirement that, where Indus- 
trial operations are shown, the whole of the 
process shall be displayed In a manner that 

203 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

will make clear to the student the exact 
nature of the technical operations. 

"(2) The pictures must be supple- 
mented by a technical description given by 
a person expert in the subject that is being 
illustrated. 

"(3) The film must be shown under 
conditions that will enable it to be stopped 
when required, so that where the subject 
calls for a fuller explanation, this can be 
given. 

"(4) The views must have a serious 
scientific or technical interest. A film which 
had been prepared solely to entertain or 
amuse would be quite unsuitable for use in 
a technical institute. 

"We beg to report that films complying 
with the four conditions named are avail- 
able, and could be suitably used for facili- 
tating the technical study of building-trades 
work, mechanical engineering, electrical 
engineering, commerce and natural science." 

The European war has presented its 
labor troubles, particularly in regard to 
finding useful occupations for cripples. 
Frank B. Gilbreth, the efficiency expert, has 
not been idle. 

As all cripples can not be classified in 
204 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the same group, Mr. Gllbreth is guided by 
the following considerations: Has the man 
been engaged in mental work? If so, all 
is well. Has the man been accustomed to 
physical labor? If his limbs prevent him 
continuing, he can be put to mental work. 
Is the latter incapable of mental work? If 
such is the case, the man must be put to 
some light manual occupation. 

His films show men engaged in various 
forms of physical labor, and the motions 
made in performing each operation are 
shown In detail. This makes it possible to 
determine the facilities demanded of the 
human limbs, and the cripple. In due time, 
can be trained to use his artificial limbs to 
the same advantage. 

The Bay State Street Railway Company 
now shows a series of films to the motormen 
and conductors In their employ, at the 
various depots. In one film, motormen are 
Instructed how to operate a car properly. 
This, in the main. Is Intended for the new 
employee, but even the veteran can pick up 
wrinkles. A third picture demonstrates the 
right manner In which to apply first aid to 
Injured passengers. These pictures were 
produced to serve two purposes. One was 

205 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to reduce the number of injuries to the 
traveling public, which would result in a 
corresponding decrease in the number of 
expensive claims they have to meet. At the 
same time it is believed that there will be 
less need to incur expense in repairing cars 
and other rolling stock, when fewer acci- 
dents prevail. 

The motion picture has also been found 
Invaluable as a nerve test for chauffeurs and 
others who have control of passenger and 
traffic vehicles. The driver sits in the car 
at the gearing-wheel in a darkened hall. 
The automobile Is a stationary one, but a 
contrivance makes It appear as though it Is 
proceeding at full speed. As the driver 
faces the screen, he first sees a child running 
In his direction. At the crossing a wagon 
appears and it looks as If a collision Is 
unavoidable. A pile of rock now suddenly 
appears, and the driver Is set the extremely 
difficult task of acting as If the situation 
occurred In reality. After this test It Is 
apparent whether or not his nerves are 
defective. The films Invented by Professor 
Munsterberg are so lifelike that, on one 
occasion, a dog attacked the screen and tore 
it to shreds. 

206 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



EFFICIENCY IN MANUFACTURING PLANTS. 

The Vickers Company, who possess the 
largest steel-plant in England, have under- 
taken the production of motion pictures on 
an imposing scale. They have three objects 
In view — to conduct experiments, to present 
mechanical processes, and also to demon- 
strate in a clear manner the workings of 
complicated or cumbersome machines. Sev- 
eral of the subjects have been included in 
the "Britain Prepared" film, and, although 
the naval censor has deleted some of the 
confidential details, it is nevertheless inter- 
esting to the layman to see the various 
munitions of war, such as guns, shells, 
engines, submarines and battleships, in the 
making. 

The motion picture Is used to show the 
result of projectiles on armor-plate, but here 
It has been necessary to speed up the expo- 
sure, for an explosion may only consume five 
one-thousandths part of a second. For 
this reason the Bull system, which produces 
from nine to fifty thousand exposures per 
second Instead of the usual sixteen, has been 
found of the utmost value. 

Dr. Hanz Goetz, speaking before the 
14 207 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

German Engineers' Society, said: "By illu- 
mulating the moving object with regularly 
succeeding electric sparks, and photograph- 
ing on a film moving continuously rather 
than intermittently, it was found possible to 
increase the number of exposures to two 
thousand per second. For engineering pur- 
poses much higher frequencies had to be 
used than Bull obtained, and the apparatus 
employed differed from his in not using a 
mechanical interrupter. In series with the 
illumulating spark gap was a large con- 
denser, and in parallel with it a small one; 
the large condenser is charged by an induc- 
tion machine, and when it is discharged the 
small condenser is alternately charged and 
discharged across the gap." 

In connection with the above, Keith 
Jones, an Englishman, has invented a device 
which enables dynamite explosions to be 
filmed as near as twenty-five yards. The 
camera, however, is controlled by electricity, 
and the operator, believing in safety first, 
stations himself fully a mile away. 

Once, when a machine gun was being 
tried out by the film, a close-up appeared of 
its mechanism, and the see'ers noticed that 
every time an empty cartridge-case was 

208 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

ejected, specks of dust appeared. For a 
time the experts were puzzled, but they 
found that something was amiss with the 
cartridge, which resulted in the bullet lack- 
ing the powerful start. The fault was here- 
inafter remedied. 

A manufacturer may have tried timing 
his workmen on a given operation, but it 
is exceedingly doubtful whether he has 
obtained complete satisfaction, as no two 
mechanics work alike. One may be as 
skilled as the other, and it is therefore hard 
to discover the incompetents. The stop- 
watch method is destructive because there is 
no way of sifting out the underlying faults. 

The only constructive system yet dis- 
covered Is micro-motion cinematography. 
The manufacturer. In trying out this method, 
must make film tests of each of his 
employees. 

Perhaps the one disadvantage Is that the 
mechanic Is aware that he Is being tested, 
but this can not be avoided, and I rather 
doubt whether It Is a disadvantage after all. 
You see, the man will put forth his best 
efforts, and It will then be revealed whether 
or not he Is efficient. As there are sixteen 
separate pictures, or "frames," as they are 

209 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

technically named, to each foot of film, and 
each "frame" represents an exposure of 
one-thirty-second part of a second, sixteen 
separate motions are recorded each half of 
a second. Two clocks are necessary If the 
experiments are to prove successful. One 
should be an ordinary alarm-clock, the other 
of the made-to-order kind. Perhaps the 
timepiece invented by Frank B. Gllbreth, of 
New York, Is the most suitable. Mr. Gil- 
breth's clock only contains one hand, which 
covers the dial every six seconds. The time 
may be told down to one-thousandth part of 
a minute. The dial contains one hundred 
parts, each of which is further separated 
into one-fifth divisions. 

The alarm-clock serves to show the time 
taken In completing the job, but the latter 
enables each motion to be timed. These 
clocks should be placed on a table or bench 
so that they are filmed at close range. In 
order to give the workman a chance to 
make good, all his tools should be at his 
elbow — preferably on a rack above. 

The New England Butt Company, of 
Providence, Rhode Island, have found the 
micro-study plan thoroughly dependable; In 
fact, I might go so far as to cite an actual 

210 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

instance. One operation, at this braiding 
factory, formerly consuming thirty-seven and 
a half minutes, is now performed by a work- 
man in eight and a half minutes. 

In most tests, the efficiency engineer, 
after the films have been developed, has 
studied each "frame" through a magnifying- 
glass. He has then been able to detect the 
difference between a necessary motion and 
a useless one. This is a departure in view- 
ing motion pictures, but the advantage is 
that each movement may be thoroughly 
studied, whereas, were the film run off the 
screen in the ordinary way, it would not be 
possible to stop it in any particular place. 
Each "frame" is but one inch wide and 
three-fourths of an inch In height, and it is 
the showing of these in rapid succession 
which produces the motion effect. When the 
complete film is projected on the screen the 
objects are magnified several thousand times. 

Packing is an art, and it has been sug- 
gested by Consul James Oliver Laing, of 
Karachi, that motion pictures of packing 
merchandise for export would prove a 
valuable object-lesson. To quote Mr. 
Laing: "If single photographs of a smashed 
packing-case, or a lighter full of goods 

211 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

being landed, or other illustrations, are 
good, a picture showing how the case came 
to be smashed, or how the goods were put 
into or taken out of the lighter, would be 
better. Every one knows that cases are 
smashed and a single photograph shows only 
the result, which any shipper can imagine. 

"If, however, a shipper of flour, let us 
say, could see a lot of Levantine stevedores 
swing a loop full of sacks over the side of 
the ship and let it down on the run to a 
flatboat bobbing about in the waves, the 
sight of what happens when the boat rises 
suddenly to meet several hundred pounds 
of muslin-sacked flour would be an education 
to the shipper. If an American furniture 
merchant could see a moving picture of his 
packing-cases dropped from a cart-tail to a 
stone floor by a gang of Maltese dockers, 
he would appreciate the cause and effect.'* 

Another problem confronting the aver- 
age employer of skilled labor Is interesting 
the wives in their husbands' work, for the 
women, through lack of understanding, grow 
discontented when their husbands have to 
work overtime. No man can be efl^clent if 
his wife Is not Interested In his work, and 
the Packard Motor Car Company have hit 

212 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



upon the motion picture. A film Is devoted 
to each manufacturing process, and the pic- 
tures are not so technical as to be above the 
heads of the women, whose sympathetic 
Instinct Is appealed to by the human-interest 
touches. 



213 



XLIII 

ENTERTAINING EMPLOYEES BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

npHE motion picture is here to stay. 
* There is no question about that, because 
the form of entertainment is decidedly dis- 
tinctive in character. 

And the individual qualities come to the 
surface when we put the versatility of the 
photoplay to its truest test, leaving all other 
entertainments hopelessly in the rear. 

Knowing its many possibilities, it is not 
surprising that it is unsurpassed for pro- 
moting good will between employer and 
employee. The laboring classes are the 
staunchest supporters of the photoplay, and 
no better way could be devised of keeping 
men thoroughly contented. 

The motion picture requires little mental 
effort on the part of the men, who, after a 
hard day's work, are not in a fit condition to 
give it. The men never find the entertain- 
ment monotonous, as films are very versatile 

214 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

in character and the program can be changed 
as frequently as desired. 

Churches, schools and clubs have admir- 
ably surmounted the theater problem with- 
out making material alterations in their 
existing buildings. Then, again, in the 
pioneer days of exhibiting, the showman 
was not above renting an empty store and 
converting it Into a regular photoplay show. 

Employees, accustomed as they are to 
roughing it, will not expect to view the films 
amid elaborate surroundings. With them 
the photoplays are the goods, so any build- 
ing available that combines simplicity with 
rough and ready comfort is satisfactory. 

Maybe there is some building on the 
plant which can be fixed up as a motion- 
picture show at nights. This should be 
lofty, provided with several exits, be well 
ventilated and heated. The place need not 
be wide, provided it is long enough to 
accommodate the requisite number. It is 
not enough that there is room for all; there 
should be a seat for every person, for noth- 
ing is more annoying to a tired worker thaa 
to have to stand during the performance; it 
kills half the enjoyment. 

The enterprising exhibitor, during the 
215 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

hot months, runs an airdrome. If the cli- 
matic conditions permit this being done 
during most of the year, then matters are 
made much easier and less expensive. All 
that has to be done is to install seats on a 
vacant lot, rig up the screen and place the 
operating-booth in position. It is advisable, 
however, to have an inside building avail- 
able, so as to take care of the rainy and 
cold nights. 

If the above-mentioned circumstances 
are not favorable, I would recommend that 
you have a frame building erected. When 
obtaining the services of an architect, be 
sure that he has a chat with a friendly exhib- 
itor beforehand, on projection, for the 
latter can only be perfected when its limita- 
tions are borne in mind. 

The outside Is the easiest part of Inaugu- 
rating a motion-picture show. It is the 
''filling In," where the troubles and costs 
pile up in profusion. 

The first item of Importance is the pro- 
jection machine, the prices of which range 
from $250 to $300. 

The authorities In various parts of the 
country insist upon the projection machine 
being enclosed in a fireproof booth, as, if 

216 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

there Is an outbreak of fire, It can not spread 
further. Here an expense of $65 is in- 
volved, but it is worth it in the interests of 
"safety first." This booth, made of gal- 
vanized iron, gives the operator plenty of 
room in which to work, and is shipped In 
parts, the whole easily being set up with 
nuts and bolts. 

Carbons are needed to run the projector, 
and it is cheaper to buy these by the case, 
which contains one thousand. They cost 
from $17 to $44, but prices vary according 
to market conditions. 

The next important link is the screen. 
In the days gone by a table-cloth or bed- 
sheet has been used, but science has come to 
the rescue, and now there are screens and 
screens, and to obtain the best results it will 
be necessary to pay about $1.50 per foot 
for the material. 

For the seating accommodation I would 
recommend opera chairs. These are made 
in many grades, but I do not think you can 
do better than purchase those of a kind 
which will stand hard wear. 

Without music, motion pictures are de- 
prived of much of their charm, and, while 
an orchestra of several pieces Is best a 

217 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

single, ordinary piano is a satisfactory 
makeshift. 

The best photoplays on the market may 
be shown, but if they flicker, get out of 
focus, and breaks occur quite often, you 
stand a good chance of getting the goats of 
the spectators. 

This means having to secure the services 
of a competent operator, who demands from 
fifteen to twenty dollars per week for an 
eight-hour day. 

If, however, there is a man on the staff 
who is well versed in electricity, he is in the 
position of the photographer who takes up 
cinematography. He is acquainted with 
the fundamentals of his craft, and it is 
therefore easy for him to become an expert 
operator. 

If he Is the right sort of man, he will 
not object to doing two or three hours' over- 
time of an evening, and perhaps it can be 
arranged for his hours at his regular job to 
be curtailed in order to ease any strain that 
might occur. 

There remains one connecting link — the 
light by which to throw the pictures on the 
screen. If a power plant is available, the 
current from same can be used. 

218 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Have the operator focus the projection 
machine exactly in the middle of the screen, 
not an inch to the right or the left, or an 
inch below or above. If this is not attended 
to, no matter in what advantageous position 
a spectator sits he will either have to hold 
his head up high or else the players in the 
picture appear unnaturally long and slim. 
The rays of light take a straight path, and 
if they are compelled to turn aside, a 
peculiar, annoying effect is produced. 

In selecting suitable lens, the size of 
building, make of projection machine, the 
length and height of screen and the distance 
from the operating-booth to the screen must 
be taken into consideration. It Is false 
economy to purchase cheap lens, and when 
ordering always furnish the supply firm 
with the foregoing particulars, as they can 
then execute your orders intelligently. 

Once the operator gets acquainted with 
the various makes of films he will discover 
that there is no standard perforation gauge. 
This results In the film jumping the sprock- 
ets, and many breaks. 

Carelessness, however, is sometimes re- 
sponsible for these defects, and the operator 
should make this his creed: 

219 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

"On receiving the films I will inspect 
them for breaks, which I will repair. 

"Every time the film leaves the sprockets 
I will halt the projector in order to set it 
right. 

"When stopping the machine I will 
throw off the switch. 

"When rewinding the films as through 
with, it will not be my fault that they are 
scratched, thereby shortening their life. I 
shall carefully but firmly exert a pressure 
against the disks of each single reel I am in 
the process of unwinding. I shall find it 
evenly wound and no damage done despite 
the speed at which I have proceeded." 

The standard speed at which pictures 
are projected is sixteen "frames" to the 
second. There are sixteen of these 
"frames," otherwise tiny pictures, to each 
foot of film, and each reel takes about 
fifteen minutes to unspool. If projection 
is faster, things in the films move at a rapid, 
mechanical pace, while explanatory matter 
is snatched off before it can be grasped. 

The operator must be provided with a 
tool outfit, which should include cement for 
mending broken films, a file for sharpening 
carbons, lugs, reels and machine oil. 

220 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The three chief distributing organiza- 
tions, General, Mutual and Universal, oper- 
ate a string of exchanges throughout the 
country, and between them release mostly 
short productions weekly. The producers 
marketing their wares under these fac- 
tions receive ten cents per foot for each 
print they supply, consequently every reel 
costs the exchange $ioo. It would be out of 
the question to show a film for a single day 
on these terms, so it is hired out to a bunch 
of theaters. The man who scures first-run 
service pays the highest price, but even then 
It amounts to only a proportion of the orig- 
inal price. As the age of a film Increases, 
the rental decreases, until it can be hired for 
as low as one dollar per day. Even at this 
stage It Is generally In good condition. 

The service has to be contracted and 
paid for In advance, the films being shipped 
as required, and reshlpped, at the expiration 
of the hiring term, to the next theater on 
the list. 

There Is also a bunch of concerns that 
exclusively handle special features. They 
are the de luxe productions of the photoplay 
world. In from five to eight reels, starring 
a prominent photoplayer or stage favorite 

221 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

in an adaptation from some popular play or 
novel. 

The producers spend more time, labor 
and expense on these pictures, consequently 
charge correspondingly high for same. To 
secure the first run of a feature of this kind 
fifty dollars per day is not considered high. 
It is best to try out the regular service 
before experimenting on special feature 
stuff. 

I now come to the actual running of the 
show, and, naturally, the times and days of 
the week on which the employees are enter- 
tained are governed by the circumstances. 

Presuming there are one thousand 
employees and only half of them can be 
accommodated at one time, it would be 
advisable to give two performances of an 
evening instead of spreading them over two 
consecutive evenings. In which case film hire 
will cost twice as much. 



222 



XLIV 

SHOOTING AT THE FILM 

1\ /f ANY wealthy sportsmen now prefer to 
^^ ^ "hunt" with a motion-picture camera. 
Whether it be the king of the jungle or the 
humble rabbit, there is no suggestion ot 
posing in the pictures obtained, which are 
therefore unsurpassed for realism. All this 
is what must have inspired inventors to 
approach as near to the real thing as the 
automatic target can go. The results have 
not been perfect by any means. 

Of the three principal methods in vogue, 
life targets undoubtedly possess the best all- 
round qualities. Attached to a roller is a 
long portion of tough, white paper. This 
paper passes over a cylinder, after which it 
travels backwards and winds itself 'round a 
second cylinder, located near the roller. 
This doubles the paper, and another sheet 
of paper is fastened securely between and 
across. When the marksman's shot hits the 
screen target, a ratchet, controlled by elec- 
15 223 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

trlcity, covers half of the shot-hole in order 
to repair the injury. The marksman has no 
need to investigate the effect of each shot, 
for the picture stops automatically just as 
soon as the bullet hits the target. At the 
back of the screen appears a brilliant light 
in the exact spot struck by the cartridge. 
The shot also stops the film for about two 
seconds, during which time the marksman 
can judge his results. After this the film is 
set in motion, when the telltale light disap- 
pears. 

It has not been found practical to permit 
an ordinary film to come to a standstill 
before it has been run off, because there is 
the risk of the heated projecting machine 
causing the celluloid strip to catch fire. But 
no such danger exists with the life target, 
as a patented cold-air blast insures perfect 
safety. Sand-bags are placed behind the 
screen to prevent the bullets going astray. 

The screen used for flash targets is 
manufactured of steel In order to prevent 
the bullets from riddling the screen. The 
lighting feature here is the same as for life 
targets. It Is possible for two or more 
persons to simultaneously fire and each 
marksman be able to trace his shots. To do 

224 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

this each marksman employs bullets which 
produce flashes of a different color. 

A Scotch invention which has not yet 
been christened makes it possible to install 
a miniature screen and projection machine 
in a cellar or dark room. The electric 
lamps act in the capacity of weapons. The 
pressing of the trigger flashes a spot-light 
on the screen in one or more colors, accord- 
ing to the number playing. 

It may be well to now set forth the 
shortcomings of film rifle-shooting from the 
rifle-shot's standpoint. The chief drawback 
is the confined area in which the marksman 
has to work. The maximum distance from 
which he can fire at the motion-picture 
screen effectively is from seventy-five to one 
hundred feet. To a marksman accustomed 
to a range up to one thousand feet, this is 
a serious disadvantage. 

No one has yet solved the problem of 
vision from a greater distance. If one sits 
a few feet away from the screen, the pic- 
tures appear so large and flat that one 
develops eye-strain. The results would be 
likewise disappointing If one attempted to 
fire at the screen from a distance of one 
hundred feet and up. The film would flicker 

225 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to such an extent that It is extremely doubt- 
ful whether the Image could be plainly dis- 
cerned. 

The number of photoplay theaters in 
this country which have a longer throw than 
two hundred feet may be counted on the 
fingers of one's hands, and this has only 
been made possible by consuming more elec- 
tric current, using more powerful lens and 
a larger screen. 

The rifleman must also take up a 
straight position, for he can not assume any 
other angle. 

A recently invented device films pictures 
of a bullet's movements in motion at the 
rapid rate of one hundred thousand per 
second. The test was confined to a radius 
of ten inches, and the bullet traversed the 
distance so swiftly that only seventy-two 
pictures were necessary. What makes the 
accomplishment remarkable is that it pierced 
a thin piece of wood. No unusual develop- 
ments were noticed until the bullet had 
nearly completed its journey, when ever-so- 
small splinters of wood began to fly about. 
When It completed the trip, the strip gave 
way completely. 

As yet there are no camera shutters that 
226 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

possess this record rate of revolution, and 
the difficulty was admirably surmounted by 
fixing a contrivance to the camera that was 
capable of manufacturing electric sparks to 
the extent of one hundred thousand to the 
second. A wheel about three feet in circum- 
ference was the resting-place for the film. 
When the bullet had been fired, the wheel 
turned 'round at nine thousand times per 
minute and a spark flashed to record the 
exposure of every picture. 

Shooting at the film ranks next best to 
shooting the object in the flesh. There is 
no killing for the sake of killing, while the 
life of the hunter is never in danger. It 
also succeeds in maintaining the marksman's 
alertness up to concert pitch, and in snap- 
shooting the film is even better. 



227 



XLV 

TEACHING AGRICULTURE BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

' I 'HE idea of teaching agriculture by 
•*■ motion pictures originated with two 
college students. They had the courage of 
their convictions, so they outlined their 
plans to Prof. Thomas Nixon, of Harvard, 
who, with the approval of the Department 
of Agriculture, formed the Rural Organi- 
zation Service. 

After this, Assistant Secretary Galloway 
of the Department of Agriculture organized 
a committee, the duties of which were to 
make films for experimental purposes, re- 
view scenarios, make recommendations and 
co-ordinate the motion-picture work. 

The Section of Illustration, Division of 
Publication, was accordingly provided with 
the necessary equipment for taking, develop- 
ing and exhibiting films. The committee 
gets busy after the chief of any division, 
bureau or independent office decides in what 

228 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

way motion pictures can assist his work. 
The proposition is passed upon by the com- 
mittee, and if they approve of it they hand 
it over to the Assistant Secretary, who 
renders the final decision. 

The cost is charged to the bureau, 
division or office using the films. The funds 
from these sources, however, have not 
proven sufficient to enable more than a few 
prints to be taken from each negative. This 
has greatly curtailed the activities of the 
department, which has been obliged to turn 
away requests from educational and chari- 
table institutions. It has, in fact, been a 
hard enough problem to supply the needs 
of the lecturers attached to the depart- 
ment. 

The department, during Its first year of 
operation, produced thirty different subjects, 
comprising thirty-one reels. These educa- 
tlonals are unlike the efforts of the regular 
photoplay producers. The latter, for in- 
stance, show you the actual growth of a 
plant, from a seedling to a sturdy plant, 
within a few minutes. The department, 
however, disapproves of this "wizardry," so 
they cut out the actual growing. Instead, 
the seedling Is shown, as in real life, without 

229 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

a movement, and when it has grown a little 
more, a subtitle appears to explain the lapse 
of time. 

These films are shown at the State col- 
leges as well as at farmers' institutes and 
county fairs. 

In many rural communities, however, 
electricity is not available, and, as the pres- 
ent equipment of the department prevents 
any other generating power being employed 
to operate the projector, it has not been 
possible to reach all farmers. 

The department is endeavoring to sur- 
mount the difficulty, and if their experiments 
are successful, a portable lighting outfit will 
be substituted. 

At the time our Government adopted 
the motion picture, Canada began to grow 
interested, but the one and only Province 
that got to the up-and-doing stage was 
Ontario. 

Canada is still in a state of develop- 
m.ent, consequently the number of settlers 
continues. Many of these know practically 
nothing about scientific farming, and the 
Ontario Department of Agriculture had a 
series of films produced so as to dispense 
the necessary knowledge. These pictures 

230 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

depicted the most important phases of 
modern agriculture. 

Operators tour the farmers' Institutes 
throughout the Province, and lecture to the 
films as they are thrown on the screen. 



231 



XLVI 

LIVE STOCK IN MOTION PICTURES 

TV/ERE I asked to name the most versa- 
^^ tile thing within our midst, I should 
say, "The motion picture," without the 
slightest hesitation. 

The method by which the Vilette Slaugh- 
ter-house, of Paris, analyzes its meat, is to 
take films of live stock immediately after 
same has been slaughtered. The pictures 
are then exhibited before sanitary inspectors, 
cattle-dealers and butchers, who can readily 
determine diseased meat by the bacteria 
which the film reveals. 

Another use for the motion picture has 
been discovered by the Bureau of Animal 
Industry of the United States Department 
of Agriculture. The bureau has had a film 
produced under the supervision of Mr. 
Downing, which deals with the well-known 
"Brooks-Bacon," cured in Brooks County, 
Georgia. 

This film, so I am given to understand, 
232 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

will be shown in rural districts in conjunction 
with a lecture, the aim being to give pointers 
to farmers on this famous industry. 

America can derive a wrinkle from 
Scotland. At a recent show of the High- 
land Agriculture Society, sheep-farmers had 
an opportunity of seeing a film dealing with 
the packing of wool. 

The Agricultural College of North 
Dakota is also doing good work in enlisting 
the aid of the motion picture in connection 
with its lecture course, one of the films per- 
taining, as it does, to the prevention of 
disease to animals. 



233 



XLVII 

USING THE MOVIES UNDER THE SEA 

"VV/HEN the wonderful Williamson sub- 
^^ marine-tube invention was heralded, 
nine out of ten folks thought that it was 
destined to remain a scientific toy, but they 
were wrong, entirely wrong. 

The inventors were more than mere 
amusement purveyors, for they invaded new 
fields with a practical object in view, their 
efforts meeting with success. 

In the first film taken off the Bahama 
Islands they located a Civil War blockade- 
runner, which had vainly tried to escape the 
penalties of war. The ship was found at 
a depth of fifty feet, and George William- 
son decided to act as a diver in order to 
put his brain-child to a new use. He was 
loaned a diving-suit by the local government 
and investigated the wreck while the camera 
men filmed all his movements. He came 
across pieces of eight, cannon and other 
salvage, all of which he dispatched to the 

234 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

surface by means of a wire basket attached 
to the end of a rope. 

As the experiment was successful, it 
occurred to Mr. Williamson that he might 
recover some of the wealth which has found 
a watery grave. In speaking of his plans, 
he said: "Some say there is more gold at 
the bottom of the ocean than there is in 
circulation; gold and silver have been sink- 
ing in the sea for centuries; millions a year 
going down, and none coming up again. 
We think we have a method of getting much 
of this treasure which is in not too deep 
water." 

The Williamson brothers made arrange- 
ments to salve the silver bars said to be on 
the "Mereda," which sank off the Virginian 
coast. They also intend to raise the valu- 
ables that went down in the "Empress 
of Ireland," and will take films of their 
efforts. 

When their feature educational was 
shown before a distinguished audience at 
the U. S. National Museum in Washington, 
the harbor men and steamship officials were 
convinced that the invention could be of 
considerable assistance in Investigating the 
supports of wharfs and piers and dangerous 

235 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

rocks and reefs little known or unknown to 
navigators. 

On the other hand, scientists agree that 
it can bring much to light on which only 
superficial knowledge exists. They were 
delighted to discover a new fish in the pic- 
ture, which was promptly named "Old 
Glory," because of the colored stripes on its 
body. 

If I am not mistaken, much will be 
heard of Ernest and George Williamson, 
for they have made an auspicious beginnin'g. 



236 



XLVIII 

MOTION PICTURES AS AN AID TO 
POLITICS 

npHE motion picture Is a highly efficient 
•*■ political agent. When Wilson ran for 
President In 19 12, the National Democratic 
Committee arranged for a film to be pro- 
duced as a campaign booster. The plot 
featured Wilson, and, as the production was 
a convincing one. It undoubtedly helped ta 
make Wilson what he is to-day. 

Some time ago the Progressive party 
announced plans for Its motion-picture cam- 
paign. The aim of each film was to present 
Progressive doctrines as applied to present- 
day social evils. 

The Socialist party is represented in 
motion pictures by "From Dusk to Dawn," 
an industrial drama. This has been wit- 
nessed by large Sunday audiences through- 
out the country, in conjunction with lectures 
by prominent socialists. 

Senator Penrose conducted his political 
237 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

campaign for re-election in Pennsylvania by 
a reel, which was shown at a number of 
theaters throughout the State. On the film 
he addresses workingmen, and walks along 
the corridors of the Capitol at Washington. 

Raymond Robins, the Illinois Progres- 
sive candidate for United States Senator, 
held a meeting at the Lyric Theater, Belle- 
ville, where he gave a free program of 
selected photoplays. 

When William B. McKinley, the trac- 
tion magnate, was re-elected to Congress, 
the Southern Illinois newspapers declared 
that the motion picture was directly respon- 
sible for his success. 

Recently an ambitious motion-picture 
company decided to produce an educational 
subject showing the Senators at work in the 
Senate Chamber at the Capitol. The camera 
man was allowed by the sergeant-at-arms to 
work just before the opening of the regular 
session. He filmed the prayer offered by 
the chaplain, the introduction of bills by 
pages, Senate press gallery and pages at 
play. It afterward transpired that Vice- 
President Marshall had not granted the nec- 
essary permission, although the photogra- 
pher said he had. It is perhaps significant 

238 



1 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

that the film has never seen the light of day. 

Senator Stone finds the motion picture 
an excellent mental tonic. He is a frequent 
visitor to the Washington theaters. So 
much so, in fact, that the sergeant-at-arms 
generally knows where to locate the Mis- 
souri Senator for a roll-call. 

When Mayor Johnson, of Gary, ran for 
Governor of Indiana he had a film taken to 
prove his popularity among townsfolk. He 
also expressed a keen desire to "star" in a 
regular drama as an efficient financier, which 
he asserts is Indiana's greatest need. 

A regular photoplay proved the turning- 
point in a recent traction franchise fight at 
Cincinnati, Ohio. "The Man of the Hour," 
featuring Robert Warwick, deals with the 
young mayor of New York City, who is 
requested to sign a traction franchise bill. 
The mayor refuses, and instantly the politi- 
cal machine is put in motion, the mayor win- 
ning out in the end. At the time the photo- 
play was shown in Cincinnati the topic of 
the day was the local franchise bill. No 
photoplay was more lustily cheered by spec- 
tators, and the effect of same was shown at 
the Cincinnati election, the bosses being 
defeated. 

16 239 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

William Sulzer, the ex-Governor of New 
York State, was "starred" in "The Gov- 
ernor's Boss." He was not prompted by 
artistic ambitions, which was perhaps as 
well, in view of his amateurish acting. The 
ex-Governor's one aim was to expose boss- 
Ism, for the benefit of voters. The story, 
w^hich was suggested by the play, "The 
Governor's Boss," was purely fictional. 

There Is a law In Michigan which for- 
bids campaign cuts being beyond a certain 
size. Politicians discovered this only too 
well at a recent election, where Attorney- 
General Fellows announced that slides of 
the candidates, thrown on the screens of the 
local theaters, violated the primary law. 

On one occasion the Louisville news- 
papers desired to judge what Influence poli- 
tics have upon photoplay-goers. The movie 
theaters maintained their customary Impar- 
tial attitude and displayed slides of all candi- 
dates running for city oflfices. Each slide 
received applause mingled with hisses, which 
revealed that folks do not object to showing 
their political faith when there Is little 
chance of same being recognized. 

The taxpayers of BInghamton, New 
York, took the Initiative in the 1915 munlcl- 

240 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

pal election. They sought to know If they 
were going to have a fixed policy In regard 
to Sunday movies. The frank reply of 
Frank H. Truitt, the Republican candidate 
for mayor, was this: "Movie licenses should 
be issued for six days per week. Shows 
closed on Sundays." 

In 191 2 the National Woman's Suffrage 
Association co-operated with a motion-pic- 
ture company to produce a special photoplay 
with special reference to the suffrage cause. 
The production was named "Votes for 
Women," in which several well-known 
suffragists appeared. The story brought 
home to the big city audiences the difficulties 
which the suffragists experience in canvassing 
votes In the small towns and outlying dis- 
tricts. 

Mrs. Pankhurst, during her visit to 
America in 19 13, appeared in a propaganda 
photoplay entitled "What Eighty Million 
Women Want." Mrs. Harriet Stanton 
Blatch, the well-known president of the 
Woman's Political Union, also made her 
motion-picture debut. The story told of a 
political fight In New York City during the 
primaries. The Woman's Political Union 
does everything within Its power to extin- 

241 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

gulsh Kelly, the corrupt political boss, and 
finally succeeds. At every theater where 
the picture was shown, suffragists addressed 
the audience. 

Another publicity stunt which helped the 
suffrage cause was the appearance of Mrs. 
Helen Robinson, the only woman Senator, 
in an installment of the "Our Mutual Girl" 
serial, negotiations for which were trans- 
acted through Miss Jean Parker, the noted 
artist. Several prominent suffragists ap- 
peared with the Colorado Senatress. 

The Chicago Woman's Citizenship Com- 
mittees, during the 19 14 elections, utilized 
motion pictures to educate prospective men 
and women voters, particularly the latter. 
In the film, women passed before the regis- 
tering-desk and afterward entered the poll- 
ing-booths. The slogan of the picture was 
''Register on February 3," and It Is cal- 
culated that seventy-five per cent, of the 
population was reached In this effective 
manner. 

The year 19 15 saw the advent of an- 
other propaganda production, this time put 
out by one of the regular producing com- 
panies In the ordinary way. "Your Girl and 
Mine" was shown under the auspices of the 

242 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

local suffrage associations throughout the 
country. It was also favorably received in 
Canada, where it helped to raise funds for 
the Canadian Patriotic Fund, which cares 
for the wives of soldiers. Many converts 
to the cause were made. 

In April, 191 6, the Congressional Union 
for Woman's Suffrage decided to portray 
in a photoplay the actions of the House 
Judiciary Committee in handling the Susan 
B. Anthony Amendment for Woman Suf- 
frage. The scenario was solicited from the 
general public, who had the option of writ- 
ing a comedy, melodrama or detective story. 
The only stipulation was that neither Repre- 
sentative Webb, of North Carolina, nor 
Representative Carlin, of Virginia, must be 
made the hero of the story. 

During the 19 13 general elections in 
France, all the candidates posed before the 
motion-picture camera in attitudes which 
undoubtedly left good impressions upon 
prospective voters. The accommodating 
film made it no longer necessary for candi- 
dates to visit out-of-the-way parts of their 
constituencies. Instead, expert operators 
toured these districts with films of the can- 
didates, who addressed likely voters on 

243 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

celluloid, while extracts from their speeches 
were flashed on the film. 

One candidate went even further. He 
had courage enough to dispense with street 
meetings altogether, and in their place hired 
a photoplay theater, to which he admitted 
prospective voters free of charge. The 
entertainment opened with two lively com- 
edies, which put the audience in a receptive 
mood. A series of pictures, depicting inci- 
dents in the career of the candidate, fol- 
lowed. He was first of all seen conducting 
a meeting, shaking hands with the prefect 
and leaving in his motor-car. He was then 
shown assisting an old woman to load a 
bundle of wood on her donkey's back, indig- 
nantly declining to be bribed, and affection- 
ately attending to an old man on a sick-bed. 
But he pulled the heart-strings of the spec- 
tators tightly when the last picture revealed 
him discreetly giving a bank-note to a poor 
man who had just been rendered homeless 
through a fire. 

In England the advocates of tariff 
reform have realized the possibilities of the 
motion picture. Before the war, delegates 
made visits to towns, but, instead of explain- 
ing the advantages of being a Unionist by 

244 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the spoken word, they employed the film. 
In the picture, favorite actors impersonated 
Lloyd George, Asquith and Bonar Law, 
while dialogue subtitles helped to put over 
their arguments. 

The Unionist party, on another occasion, 
discovered that the one and only effective 
way of reaching many folks in rural com- 
munities was by the traveling motion-picture 
show. The performances were given from 
the back of an auto-wagon, but audiences 
had first to listen to an eloquent address 
from the candidate's representative. The 
undertaking was educational, in that many 
aged folks saw the movies for the first 
time. 

In 19 1 2, at the time of the London 
County Council elections, one political party 
had fifty projection machines working on 
behalf of their candidates. The films 
screened by same at open-air meetings 
showed how London had changed for the 
better since they had come into power. 

We have newspapers that support one 
political faith, but the unneutral motion-pic- 
ture theater is a rarity. One exhibitor 
attempted it when running for a municipal 
office. He had his portrait thrown upon the 

245 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

screen, accompanied by another relating to 
his quahfications. He was elected. 

The last suffrage laws in Italy appealed 
to several million people who had not been 
entitled to vote before. It was no small 
task to teach them how to cast their ballots, 
so the aid of the motion picture was sought. 
Films were produced and exhibited to dem- 
onstrate how voting is done properly, again 
testifying how useful the motion picture is 
for political purposes. 



246 



XLIX 

THE MOTION-PICTURE CRITIC 

INCREDIBLE as it may seem, the motioa 
'■' picture is still regarded as a scientific toy 
by the daily press. New York is supposed 
to set the pace for the entire country, yet 
what do we find? Of the regular dailies, 
but one is making an honest attempt to 
criticize current photodrama attractions. 
True enough, there appear columns of film 
notes, which are contributed by the pub- 
licity departments of the photoplay manu- 
facturers, but anything resembling the 
regular dramatic department is practically 
unknown. 

When a newspaper does review a photo- 
play it dispatches Its regular dramatic critic. 
He may be a competent man In his own 
particular sphere, but when he tackles the 
motion picture he at once betrays his Igno- 
rance. He will say, for Instance, that "The 
Love Chief" was "produced" at the Blank 
theater, whereas he should have written 

247 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

^'presented." He is also fond of using the 
word "posed," when speaking of the actors. 
As any fan knows, once a photoplayer com- 
mences to pose, he is artificial. "Appeared" 
is a better word. 

Speaking at a dinner in March, 19 15, 
Arthur Brisbane, editor of the New York 
Evening Journal, said: "The success of the 
motion picture is based upon the stupidity 
and lack of intellectual development of the 
human race. I am one of the few living 
men who have never seen Mary Pickford or 
Charles Chaplin or Theda Bara or Miss 
Clarke. All I have seen is the 'Durbar' and 
Scott's South Pole pictures and 'Carmen,' 
which I couldn't escape because it was given 
in Mr. Hearst's house and I happened to 
be a guest there." When a great editor, 
such as Mr. Brisbane, permits prejudice to 
outweigh all other considerations, we begin 
to understand the apathy displayed by many 
newspaper editors toward the photoplay. 

About two years before this speech was 
made, a well-known Chicago dramatic critic 
boasted that he had never seen a photoplay 
and did not wish to. Another dramatic 
critic made a fool of himself at a trade 
dinner when he mentioned a perfect, one- 

248 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

reel photoplay which it had been his pleas- 
ure to see. Naturally, his listeners thought 
he alluded to the old Griffith-Biograph pic- 
tures. "Spartacus," he said, when asked the 
name. ''A one-reeler?" queried his ques- 
tioner. "You must have only seen the final 
reel!" 

Why should not photoplays be criticized 
the same as stage productions? The popu- 
larity of the feature photoplay, and the 
resulting improvements effected in the pro- 
ducing end, entitle the silent drama to be 
judged on a plane by itself. Why should 
a review be hidden among the "legitimate" 
stuff and criticized from the angle of a 
speaking play? It is not fair to the public 
or the producer. The newspapers claim 
that the average photoplay is not worth 
criticizing — the story is too improbable to 
begin with. Let us grant that they are 
correct in their assumption. What is the 
critic for? Is it not his duty to dissect the 
faults and show how they may be remedied? 
Very well. He should be pleased because 
there is some useful work ahead of him. 
The producer has been accustomed to taking 
things easy because his efforts are sent out 
Into the world without rebuffs. He may 

249 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

obtain a few "roasts" from the trade 
papers, but these do not reach the public at 
large, so why should he worry? Once a 
newspaper engages a motion-picture critic, 
he will put the producers on their mettle. 

The motion-picture critic has difficulties 
which he alone can appreciate. There are 
something like one hundred productions, of 
all lengths and descriptions, released weekly. 
To see the entire output would keep the 
critic more than busy during each of the 
seven days. Then, there are space consid- 
erations. Under such conditions as exist in 
the big city it would not be advisable to just 
take the features playing at the leading 
theaters in the business and shopping sec- 
tions, for the many ordinary shows situated 
in various other parts of the town and 
suburbs would be missed entirely. The only 
fair way is a middle course. It will be pre- 
sumed that the critic keeps in touch with the 
latest output, which knowledge should great- 
ly assist him to decide which are the best 
six or twelve productions of the week, and 
these should be included on his viewing 
schedule. This was the policy adopted by 
Wid Gunning, when motion-picture critic of 
the New York Evening Mail, and proved 

250 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

satisfactory in two ways. It prevented 
readers from seeing a lemon and was an 
incentive for manufacturers to turn out 
better productions. 

The duties of the small-town motion- 
picture critic are considerably restricted. 
There are probably but two or three thea- 
ters in his territory, and all that is necessary 
is to review the star attraction of each 
house. If the theaters favor the daily 
change, as most do, it is Impossible to review 
the features in time to be of service to the 
reader. For this reason I am Inclined to 
the opinion that the small-town newspaper 
is best served by a syndicate service. , 

Where will the successful motion-picture 
critics come from? Many will be recruited 
from the photoplay-writing ranks because 
the first-hand experience thus gained will 
have taught them the qualities which go to 
the making of the perfect photoplay. 



251 



LAW PRACTICE BY MOTION PICTURES 

V/ES, It Is quite true that law will be prac- 
■'' ticed by the motion picture before many 
years have passed." This prediction, com- 
ing as it did from George Julian Houtain, 
the well-known Brooklyn attorney, was 
based on more than mere theory. 

"I don't mind confessing that I spend 
many a pleasant evening at the photoplay 
theater," said Mr. Houtain, "and these 
visits have convinced me that there exist big 
possibilities for employing the film In my 
profession. Every time I think of the 
motion picture I see REALISM written in 
large letters. 

"At the time the United Shoe Machinery 
Company was accused of effecting an unlaw- 
ful monopoly, the case necessitated much 
technical knowledge which jurymen could 
hardly be expected to possess. Everything 
was therefore simplified by motion pictures, 
assisted with slides. The former showed 

252 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

how the company's machines were operated 
and the various mechanical processes. 

"The president of the company lectured 
to the films, which were projected on the 
wall of the court-room. When the 'bottom- 
ing' process, which is the most important 
detail of shoe manufacturing, was unfolded, 
the jurors were no longer in doubt that the 
United Company was guilty of the charge. 

"In technical cases like the foregoing, 
educational films prove of great value, 
especially in regard to the small details 
which count for so much. 

"A lavv^er may use all the eloquence at 
his command, yet he can not help but realize 
his own limitations when up against the 
condemning motion-picture evidence of the 
motion picture. Permit me to cite an 
instance : 

"A Glasgow (Scotland) family de- 
manded several thousand dollars' compen- 
sation for injuries to their boy in a street-car 
accident, claiming that the lad had been 
crippled for life. The case went before the 
court and the rapid-transit company lost the 
day, for It certainly seemed feasible enough, 
since the boy was on crutches and had his 
feet bandaged In a sling. 

253 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

"It happened, however, that one of the 
company's officials chanced to while away 
an idle hour at a motion-picture theater, in 
which he saw a topical film dealing with a 
local sports event. He was surprised to see 
the boy outdistancing his competitors, and 
as the race occurred some weeks after the 
accident, the company was enabled to lodge 
an appeal, winning the day. 

"The boy, when he knew the game was 
up, admitted that he was as sound as any 
normal youngster. 

"On the other hand. It is easy for the 
unscrupulous to use the motion picture for 
purposes of misrepresentation. I well re- 
member reading about a case that took place 
In German Southwest Africa. A lonely and 
wealthy farmer, tired of remaining a bach- 
elor, advertised In a German newspaper for 
a wife who was congenial and thoroughly 
domesticated. This ad caught the eye of a 
fortune-hunter, who had no other qualifica- 
tions than a pretty face and a love of gaiety. 
She was not, however, without Ingenuity, 
and to this end persuaded an actress friend 
to portray before the motion-picture camera 
her talents for domestic work. The pros- 
pective husband duly received a copy of the 

254 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

film, and was instantly smitten with her, 
cabling sufficient money for the trip. 

"When they came face to face he was 
angry at discovering that she was not the 
same girl as the one that had appeared in 
the film. He declined to have anything 
further to do with her, but the scheming 
woman sued for breach of promise, and the 
farmer won the day when the film revealed 
her deception to the judge. So, once again, 
the film brought the truth to light." 

"Do you consider a knowledge of 
motion pictures will prove an advantage to 
the lawyer presenting evidence by same?" 
I asked. 

"Indeed I do," Mr. Houtain replied. 
"The motion picture has brought many pro- 
fessions into being, and I am convinced that 
the motion-picture lawyer, when he arrives, 
will be well versed as to the technical side. 
With this knowledge he will be in a position 
to act to the best possible advantage on 
behalf of his client." 



17 255 



u 



AIDING CRIME DETECTION BY MOTION 
PICTURES 

A RE you aware that the motion picture 
*^ is assisting the detection of crime in 
America? Maybe you are not acquainted 
with its capabilities in this connection, so 
you will welcome being enlightened. 

The motion picture is assisting the detec- 
tion of crime, and some months ago Com- 
missioner A. H. Wood, of the New York 
Police Department, took the first steps 
towards using motion pictures for increasing 
the efficiency of his department. He did 
this by applying to the Board of Estimate 
for a fund of $30,000. 

While plans have not yet been put into 
operation, it is intended, among other things, 
to film the daily line-up at police headquar- 
ters. The close-ups of the burglars and 
pickpockets will be filed in the rogues' 
gallery. 

A motion-picture camera will also prob- 
256 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

ably be concealed inside a window facing 
saloons, street corners and other places fre- 
quented by thieves, gangsters and thugs. 

A film may likewise be put to use in pro- 
viding convincing evidence when there is 
reason to doubt the statements made by the 
witnesses. 

Regular dramas exposing the m^ethods 
of different types of criminals, and showing 
how they are brought to book, will be pro- 
duced for the edification of young detectives. 
Only those concerned will be privileged to 
view these photoplays. 

It may be recalled that a riot occurred 
about three years ago in Los Angeles. The 
rioters broke windows in a reckless manner, 
thought nothing of impeding the progress of 
trolley-cars, and even went so far as to fire 
their revolvers at inoffensive citizens. 

The police had absolutely no evidence to 
bring specific charges home, but, as is often 
the case in such events, several motion-pic- 
ture camera men were on the job. They 
took great risks to secure realistic views, 
and it was on the strength of these that the 
jury obtained the proof to pass sentences on 
the guilty parties. 

I happen to know of a physician out in 
257 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Indiana whose nine-year-old daughter was 
kidnapped. He had the law set in motion, 
but all searching efforts proved futile. It 
occurred to the fond father to try motion 
pictures, so, with the co-operation of the 
police, hundreds of theaters were obliging 
enough to run a slide with his daughter's 
photograph as well as a brief description of 
her. If any spectator had seen the child, 
he was asked to get in touch with the police. 

There recently came to light a case of 
blackmailing in a Pennsylvania town. A 
contractor was confident of securing a re- 
newal of his contract with the municipal 
authorities, but the corrupt councilors de- 
manded $10,000 for exercising their influ- 
ence. The contractor, however, was clean, 
and hit upon an idea by which to nip their 
unscrupulousness in the bud. 

He pretended to agree to their plan, 
and invited them to meet in the best-lighted 
room at the local hotel. The councilors 
fell, and took the wad of bills, which, by 
the way, were of the stage kind. Just before 
the crooks left he gently broke the news 
that a motion-picture camera had recorded 
their actions through a hole In the curtain. 

Fearing exposure, the councilors deemed 

258 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

it wise to play straight, so the man secured 
the contract without the bribe. 

All these cases make effective replies to 
those misguided folks who maintain that 
motion pictures breed crime. 



259 



LIl 

MOTION PICTURES IN PRISONS 

rVERY convict finds prison life monot- 
•■--* onous, and this is just the thing that 
permits brooding, which often causes a con- 
vict to get his good-conduct record stained. 

Motion pictures, however, can do much 
to promote a contented feeling, and it is of 
more than passing notice that several of our 
prisons should have realized this fact. 

At the Minnesota State Prison, for in- 
stance, the prisoners attend the chapel on 
every Tuesday and Thursday evening for 
an hour, during which time they are enter- 
tained with motion pictures. 

Moreover, the men may talk to each 
other about the entertainment. The Rev. 
J. S. Budlon, former chaplain, is responsible 
for the statement that the film is proving of 
great value as an educational force. 

Naturally, It would not be the right 
thing to present before lawbreakers photo- 
plays which portray such things as bank 

260 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

robberies, cowboy rescues, Indian fights and 
stage-coach hold-ups, so slapstick comedies 
and refined dramas comprise the programs, 
which, needless to say, are much enjoyed. 

That the introduction of motion pictures 
to the shut-ins has been beneficial is proven 
by the fact that, since they were inaugurated 
at the Colorado Penitentiary at Canon City, 
the average number of violations of the 
rules has decreased by four hundred. 

Films could also be employed to teach 
convicts different trades and keep them in 
touch with the world's progress so that they 
will not be like Rip Van Winkles when they 
are free once more. 

Some convicts serving life sentences 
make the acquaintance of the motion picture 
for the first time, and they are curious to 
know all the ins and outs of this twentieth- 
century wonder. 

The recent move on the part of the 
motion-picture producing companies has 
been to take films of prison life. This pre- 
sented a menace which Governor Dunne, of 
Illinois, was quick to perceive. He did not 
see why convicts should be exposed to the 
risk of being recognized at the photoplay 
theaters throughout the country and thus be 

261 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

branded for life, so he stipulated that films 
should not be produced in the penitentiary 
unless it was impossible to recognize the 
convicts. 

Strange to say, however, some of the 
inmates of the Clinton State Prison, Danne- 
more, New York, did not worry who saw 
them. Perhaps the photoplay acting bug or 
personal vanity got the better of them. 
Anyway, it is against the rule for a motion- 
picture photographer to film them with their 
faces towards the camera, so the operator 
had to set up his machine in the rear of the 
chapel, with the prisoners at the far end. 
When he turned the crank, some of the men 
turned round and smiled into the camera. 

When permission was applied for to 
produce a motion picture of life In Joliet 
(Ills.) Prison, the warden refused permis- 
sion. This news got around to the convicts, 
who prevailed upon him to allow the film 
producer to go ahead. The reason they 
gave was that they wanted the public to 
know how humanly treated they are. 



262 



LIU 

MAKING THE MOTION PICTURE "ONE 
OF THE FAMILY" 

TTO many of us the motion picture means 
■■• a refreshing conclusion to a trying day. 
It may therefore be considered as one of 
the bright sides of family life. A certain 
intimacy, however, is lacking, for motion 
pictures are discussed in a like manner in 
thousands of homes. We can not help 
feeling that they are public property, but 
how differently do we regard family photo- 
graphs, which we treasure, and we are care- 
ful to whom we distribute same. 

Since we are such ardent admirers of 
the motion picture, we should make it "one 
of the family." The latest development is 
film motion portraiture, which high-class 
photographers are specializing in. 

Were you to be "registered" before the 
exacting lens of the motion-picture camera 
for eight minutes, no less than 7,680 sepa- 
rate portraits would be taken at the rate of 

263 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

sixteen per second. Each photograph would 
be a momentary record of the sitter's face, 
and not one facial expression would be lost. 
On the screen you would be under the eye 
of the spectator for eight minutes. Each of 
the 7,680 photographs would not be a good 
likeness, but it would be the whole number 
projected in rapid succession that would give 
the faithful picture. You can retouch and 
fake a photograph in any way you may 
wish, but you can not tamper with a film. 
In fact, the only way Is to do the faking 
beforehand by make-up and this would give 
the game away, for the motion-picture 
camera hides nothing. 

Who would not dearly love to have a 
permanent record of all the quaint gestures 
and poses that make a baby so adorable? 
As he grows older these are lost to us, but 
If on every birthday he was to pose before 
the camera to the extent of ten feet of film, 
we would be able to trace every stage of 
his childhood. What an appropriate com- 
Ing-of-age present it would make, too ! 
Children can be shown Indulging In their 
favorite pastimes and playing with their 
pets. As children are born photoplay actors, 
they require comparatively little coaching. 

264 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Both Siegmund Lubin, the well-known photo- 
play producer, and William Hearst, the 
newspaper proprietor, to name but two, are 
preserving motion pictures of their offspring 
until they are grown up. 

A wedding comes but once, and often 
the only reminder of it is a group photo- 
graph. As a French photographer adver- 
tised: "Nuptual Cinema. To engaged per- 
sons : Do you wish to preserve a vivid, living 
recollection of the happiest day of your 
life? Have a film photographed of the 
ceremony (civil or religious) of your wed- 
ding, and in after years you will be able to 
see yourselves on the screen — young, loving, 
full of hope for the future." 

The filming of the actual wedding is 
seldom done. Instead, a private rehearsal 
is arranged, as the photographical condi- 
tions render it extremely difficult to record 
the ceremony satisfactorily in a church or 
home. Weather conditions may result in 
indistinct street scenes. Then there are 
delays which may cause more film to be 
exposed and add considerably to the 
expense. 

At a rehearsal, however, everything 
generally passes off without a hitch. The 

265 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

cinematographer explains in detail before- 
hand just how he wishes the ceremony to be 
performed. This will be staged at his 
studio in a scene to represent the interior 
of a home or church. 

Champ Clark, the well-known politician, 
for instance, had the wedding of his daugh- 
ter Genevieve, filmed, so that his family 
might always hark back to it. 

One pair I know, who married in 1909, 
entrust their wedding film to the care of 
their bank for 364 days during the year. 
On each anniversary of their marriage they 
arrange a private exhibition of the film, to 
which they Invite their friends. 

Another source of satisfaction is when 
one of the contracting parties passes away. 
Among the passengers on the last voyage of 
the ill-fated "Titanic" were Mary Farquhar- 
son and Daniel Marvin, newly married, on 
their honeymoon. The husband went down 
with the steamer, but the wife's grief was 
somewhat lessened because she had a film 
of the wedding ceremony. 

Other occasions when films might be 
taken are birthdays and other family events 
and social gatherings. We should find many 
faults in ourselves which we did not before 

266 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

believe existed. We would be able to cor- 
rect mannerisms in deportment and speech. 
Perhaps we do not dress correctly. We 
would notice that, too, so the film can be as 
useful as it is entertaining. 



267 



LIV 

WRITING A LOCAL PHOTOPLAY 

pHOTOPLAY writing is a bug and few 
'■' people are able to resist it. All aspire 
to see their brain-children on the screen, but 
in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the 
cherished ambition is never realized. There 
are something like one hundred photoplays 
produced weekly by the regular producers, 
and as the majority of these are the efforts 
of staff writers, the field for the free-lance 
is, therefore, limited. 

But if you put on a local photoplay, you 
can shut your eyes to these conditions. 

Motion pictures have certain limitations. 
The first mistake is to take a subject that 
lends itself to better treatment as a short 
story. Such a play is one that requires a 
great deal of explanatory matter in order to 
get its meaning across the screen, by way of 
leaders and inserts. A certain number of 
these is allowed, but as a rule there should 
not be more than ten to fifteen to a one-reel 

268 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

subject. Even this Is a lot, and it is best 
that all written explanations be reduced to a 
minimum, and inserts used in preference to 
leaders. 

The action should be kept in one country- 
all the time. In fiction one has the whole 
world to roam in, but when it is realized 
that in a photoplay all such settings nearly 
always have to be taken on the spot in order 
to be effective, you can readily see that it is 
impossible in ordinary instances. Besides, 
the play will ^ have no distinctive qualities 
unless it is set locally. 

Characterization is now well developed 
in photoplays, and it must be remembered 
that these very traits have to be put over by 
the actions of the players. 

Now to the details of scenario construc- 
tion. The word "scenario" is given as the 
name of the photoplay manuscript. With 
most authors the first thing to do Is to think 
out well, before putting pen to paper, an 
original and presentable idea ; then the next 
move is to weave a plot around it. When 
you have carefully thought out the plot, you 
can go ahead and lay out the scenario scene 
by scene. To Illustrate my meaning, I can 
not do better than give an actual example,.. 

269 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

which will make clear to you the correct 
manner in which to set out a photoplay. 
There are five separate portions, as fol- 
lows: 

Title: This should be written around 
the main idea of the play, as it generally 
enables you to describe the play in an apt 
manner, while not at the same time giving 
too much away. There is an art in concoct- 
ing a title that explains little, yet promises 
much. You should strive to get away from 
the conventional path by giving the scenario 
a catching title — something that will arrest 
the attention of everybody. 

Cast of characters: Briefly explain the 
characteristics, etc., of each leading role, 
and include any extras that will be required. 
See that every character has his or her part 
to play, and cut out any that are not neces- 
sary for the successful presenting of the 
play. You may, of course, use those that 
lend "atmosphere" to the scenes. 

Synopsis: Here you set forth the story 
of the play in a condensed form. You 
must avoid the narrative strain and write 
action instead — not the action that takes 
place in every scene, but that in the story 
Itself. 

270 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

List of scenes: You use this to summa- 
rize in a brief fashion all the scenes there 
are in a play. 

Scenario proper: This is the most im- 
portant detail of all, for you arrange the 
play scene by scene. Every time the camera 
is moved from one position to another con- 
stitutes the finish of one scene and the com- 
mencement of another. You should detail 
the "business" sufficiently to enable the play- 
ers to grasp fully the possibilities of the 
play. Leaders and inserts should break in 
where needed, and an exterior scene should 
be used when a person is traveling from 
one house to another, so as to impress upon 
spectators the fact that it is not the same 
house, for it is bad form for a player to 
"drop" from the first house into the second 
without fixing this detail In the minds of 
the audience. 

Here is a sample scene: 

Leader: The Same Evening. 

Scene 2 — Parlor-ranch. Flo seated, knit- 
ting; Dick enters; asks Flo to darn socks; 
Flo speaks Indignantly, saying: 

Leader: "Fm Not Your Hired Help." 

Back to scene. Dick gets flustered under 
the snub; retreats to door; drops socks; 
18 271 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

exits. Flo picks up socks; kisses them; 
smiles. 

Do not introduce a lengthy scene unless 
its action is broken with explanatory matter, 
as otherwise spectators grow restless. What 
is going to happen with the gradual straight- 
ening of things should be left until the 
climax, and it improves a photoplay if the 
unexpected occurs, so that a surprise is 
sprung upon the audience. You should, in 
fact, work up the interest from the very 
start and keep it going until the conclusion 
of the play. 



272 



LV 

ATTENDING TO THE ACTING 

pHOTOPLAY acting Is the hardest form 
^ of dramatic art extant. All the players 
who have been recruited from the theatrical 
stage admit It. The beginner, however, 
possesses an advantage In that he has noth- 
ing to unlearn. 

There are, In the producing of a photo- 
play, several component parts which go to 
make up the whole, and, should one fall 
down, there will be a broken link In the 
chain, thus marring what w^ould perhaps 
otherwise be an excellent picture. 

When a director selects a player as an 
extra, which means a position In the regular 
stock company should he or she make good, 
he closely criticizes the face, the shape of 
which Is the deciding factor. 

As you will probably recruit some of 
your players from a local dramatic society, 
It Is up to you to see that they discard their 
theatrical mannerisms. A photoplayer, In 

273 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

order to convince, must act naturally, avoid- 
ing all meaningless gestures and movements. 
But one can not set a standard for all roles. 
If, for instance, an actor has to portray a 
man of the backwoods, he will adopt rough- 
and-ready methods. Should, however, he be 
a highbrow, there will be a decided repose 
in all of his actions. 

There is a tendency on the part of the 
present-day director to draw hard-and-fast 
rules and have the players under him express 
their emotions in a stereotyped way. Every- 
body has an individuality, and to deprive 
him or her of this is a big mistake. 
Although the stars are allowed some lati- 
tude, there is a certain sameness in depicting 
the emotions. Such ones as fear, hate, 
sympathy, jealousy, surprise and determina- 
tion are indicated by different shades of 
frowning. 

You will discover, too, when practicing 
in a mirror, by laughing and smiling in 
different ways, that you will express joy, 
expectation, happiness and delight. But 
when you try out weeping in all its forms, 
some of the emotions you will show are 
grief, sadness and sympathy. There is also 
a knack of acquiring the right poise of the 

274 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

body, and in this connection it is worth while 
picking up hints from the regular players. 

To quote from "Making the Movies" 
(Macmillan) : "The actor must be very 
cautious in the speed of his movements, for 
if he were to walk briskly before the camera, 
it would appear as a run on the film. Every 
second sixteen different pictures are recorded 
on the narrow strip of celluloid, and if the 
player does not want his walk to come out 
blurred, he must take good care not to travel 
faster than sixteen inches per second. 

"The width of the stage by the lens of 
the camera is nine feet, in which narrow 
space a batch of players have to work to- 
gether under cramped conditions. The 
breadth, however, can be greater as the 
length increases, but oftentimes important 
situations have to be acted through at close 
quarters. 

"If the director is not careful, and the 
actors equally alert, the work of a player 
in the background will be concealed from 
view. So you will see that careful attention 
has to be given to the grouping." 



275 



LVI 

COLORS EMPLOYED IN MAKE-UP 

MAKE-UP In motion pictures is an art; 
indeed, a science. Were it possible to 
take all the scenes outdoors, it would not 
matter so much, but the electric lighting in 
interior sets is so powerful that if the face 
is not adequately made up it assumes a flat 
appearance. 

The face, to be expressive, must have its 
features shown up conspicuously. The stage 
player Is only seen by the audience from the 
other side of the footlights, and therefore 
heavy make-up is not an eyesore. The 
motion-picture actor, on the other hand, puts 
over his work within a few feet of the 
camera, which magnifies things so many 
times at close range that great skill is neces- 
sary if the make-up is not to be revealed to 
spectators. 

You can not retouch the film In such a 
way that all faults are deftly covered up, 
for when you consider that there are sixteen 

276 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

pictures, or "frames," to call them by their 
correct name, each i x J4 inch, to every foot 
of film, you will readily realize that the task 
is out of the question. 

There are players who err on the side 
of liberality, which policy may be advisable 
in some things, but certainly not in photo- 
play make-up. 

Have you not seen a young player with 
a pair of black eyes? You must not imagine 
they have been received in a fistic contest, 
for too much make-up has been applied. 

Colors have most peculiar effects when 
photographed under the glare of the arc- 
lights. The players, for instance, have to 
avoid rouge or any other color with a red 
tint, as red has the strange trick of photo- 
graphing black on the screen. Rouge, how- 
ever, is permitted on the lips, but only in a 
light quantity; much would make the mouth 
unusually black. 

White is another color which is tabooed. 
This gives a chalky appearance, and the 
same is true of light blue. 

The right colors, outside of the above- 
mentioned exceptions, are merely a matter 
of individual tastes, for the player can only 
master make-up by adapting it to his 

277 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

features. I will give an instance of this. 
The player with a fair complexion seldom 
uses grease-paint at all. He finds that cold- 
cream with a dash of a light-brown powder 
screens effectively. 

The player, however, possessing what I 
might term a medium complexion, uses 
either a yellow or dark-blue grease-paint 
after first applying cold-cream to the face, 
but, in order to prevent his face screening 
like a ball of grease, he covers It with a 
light-brown powder. 

This make-up is applied to the face as 
well as the front and back of the neck. 

To make the eyebrows come out promi- 
nently, the player usually employs a black 
eyebrow pencil, but some players prefer to 
use it on their eyelashes. This is a tedious 
and painful process. 

However, should a player be taking a 
character part, he accentuates his features 
with a brown lining-pencil, but does not 
permit an indiscreet close-up to reveal these 
lines. 



278 



LVII 

SECURING PERMISSION FOR LOCATIONS 

]\ yTOTION pictures breathe the very 
^^ ^ essence of life, and this is where the 
motion-picture photographer has a chance 
to demonstrate his skill. The scene painter 
takes a back seat, which Is as It should be, 
for the camera man becomes an artist 
Instead of a crank-turner. 

I spent a recent vacation on a farm, and, 
as Is natural with rural folks, the farmer 
with w^hom I was staying wanted to know 
the ins and outs of my vocation. Having 
thus gained his confidence, he told me about 
a neighbor of his who had been paid a sur- 
prise visit by a motion-picture company. 
They wanted free access to the farm for 
one week, for which permission they w^ould 
pay one hundred dollars. The extremely 
liberal offer was accepted without more ado, 
and the farmer made a tidy profit out of 
the players' board. 

My newly found friend was anxious to 
279 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

do the same. The pride of his estate is a 
good-sized waterfall, by the side of which 
is an old mill. He felt that this was worth 
something; so it was, but I took great pains 
to point out that no motion-picture company 
would run up for these alone unless hard 
pressed. These two attractions might prove 
the deciding factor, but he would have to 
assure them that his farm offered a wide 
range of locations. 

I cite this case to prove to you how 
expensive is the search for locations, and 
the attitude taken by rural folks. 

The big producing concerns can sustain 
it, but how about you, a free-lance? So 
many folks have gotten the mistaken idea 
that motion-picture producers spend their 
money like water, that you are liable to be 
branded as one of the tribe. 

When you produce a film you take a big 
chance, and it is therefore up to you to 
reduce expenses as far as is possible. If 
you need locations on private property for 
an educational subject or a local photoplay, 
ir Is best to feel your way. Try, first of all, 
to obtain the necessary permission without 
a fee, but. If money is required, explain how 
differently situated you are from the national 

280 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

producer, and offer a share of your profits. 

What is the attitude of your park 
authorities in regard to the taking of 
exteriors? They may permit you to use a 
kodak as freely as you wish, yet impose 
certain restrictions when a motion-picture 
camera is used. 

The Brooklyn park department, for in- 
stance, classifies motion pictures as a com- 
mercial product, and now charges tolls. If 
a film company or individual causes a troupe 
of not more than ten players to work in any 
of its parks, the fee is five dollars. 

If, however, heavy "props" or artificial 
scenery is employed, or the company is more 
than ten and not over twenty-five, ten dollars 
is charged. Each horse is rated at one 
dollar. 

It is not always realized by those respon- 
sible for the control of our parks that harm 
Is done when they place obstacles in the way 
of cinematographers, whose efforts are often 
shown the country over, and the "atmos- 
phere" injected acts as a boost for the place 
where the scenes were filmed. 

An instance of this occurred In New 
Orleans not long ago. The Fox Film Cor- 
poration applied for permission to take 

281 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

several scenes in City Park, but were refused 
by the City Park Board. The matter was 
taken up by the New Orleans Chamber of 
Commerce, who feared that their petty 
action would prevent New Orleans from 
becoming a film-producing center. The City 
Park Board, however, had the good sense 
to realize their mistake. 

The weapons used in war films are 
harmless, so a mounted policeman made a 
fool of himself when he arrested a troupe 
of cowboys and soldiers engaged at fighting 
in Van Courtland Park, New" York City. 
He took them to the Morrisania Court, 
where he charged them with carrying guns 
as opposed to the Sullivan law. 

The magistrate discovered that the guns 
were not loaded, and dismissed the players 
when matters were explained. The com- 
pany in question now obtains a permit from 
the police department when any of their 
players have occasion to carry firearms in 
public. 

For these reasons I would advise you to 
make inquiries before exposing film in public 
parks. 



2S2 



LVIII 

TAKING THE EXTERIORS 

TV/E realize, when we come to outdoor 
^^ work, that motion-picture producing 
is more closely linked with the photographic 
art than it is with the theatrical stage. The 
latter can not give genuine exteriors for love 
or money, but these constitute an asset in 
motion pictures which more than compen- 
sates for the absence of the spoken word. 

Motion-picture producing companies 
think nothing of sending troupes of players 
hundreds of miles in search of "local color." 
It pays them in the long run, because, if they 
were obliged to fake natural backgrounds 
in the studio, the sets would probably cost 
as much as their traveling expenses. The 
scenic artist may be the most skilled man in 
his profession, yet he can not put one over 
nature and get away with it. The artificial- 
ness will be plainly apparent to the fans, 
who will regard the produced effort with 
disgust. 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

In an amateur photoplay, natural back- 
grounds are even more important. It is up 
to you to inject as much local "atmosphere" 
as possible, for otherwise their efforts will 
not appear half as effective. Folks like to 
recognize outdoor scenes, especially as they 
are presented from a new viewpoint — the 
motion-picture camera. 

A photoplay in which exteriors predomi- 
nate has, for some unexplainable reason, 
become associated with thrilling stunts. 
Must you, then, do the same in order to 
hold the interest of an audience? Once 
upon a time it was generally taken for 
granted that the attention of fans could only 
be sustained if something was doing all the 
time. The word action got to be misinter- 
preted, for the new school of directors has 
introduced a subtle kind of action — that in 
which a player expresses a good deal with 
a twitch of the face. 

It takes years of experience to master 
this knack — for knack it is — so it is best 
that you adopt the broader means of expres- 
sion. You should therefore attempt either 
a slapstick comedy or a refined melodrama. 
You can then have the villain ducked under 
the village pump, the hero tied to the rail- 

284 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

road tracks at the local crossing, or stage 
the fight between the hero and villain at the 
edge of the nearest cliff. These stunts have 
been done innumerable times, and I have 
only suggested them so that you may know 
along which lines to work. While it is best 
to think up new incidents, even the common- 
place ones would interest because you serve 
them up in a new "dress." 

This is not to suggest, however, that you 
kill off any members of your filming party 
in actual reality, for if reasonable precau- 
tions are taken, the dangers incurred in put- 
ting over stunts are reduced to a minimum. 
The chances are that some of your players 
will be opposed to assisting in the manufac- 
ture of thrills, but the danger element, you 
must point out, is part and parcel of the 
photoplayer's work. 

The following experience fell to Leah 
Baird's lot. I tell it in the Vitagraph 
player's own words: "In 'Ivanhoe' I was 
Rebecca, and King Baggot, as 'Brian de 
Bois,' had to carry me off. Well, the steed 
threw us both to the ground, but King 
Baggot quickly got up and pulled me aside 
before the horse had a chance to roll over 
me. 

285 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Accidents are liable to occur at any time, 
for the players have to carry out almost 
everything in grim reality. 

The big mistake made by the average 
regular producer to-day is to repeat exte- 
riors. If he chose to do so, he could intro- 
duce a wide variety of natural backgrounds, 
but he seems to prefer to confine himself to 
a few. This is sheer laziness in too many 
cases, for he saves time and trouble when he 
does not have to change over for every 
scene. 

Your position, however, is quite differ- 
ent. Your footage will, for cost-of-produc- 
tion reasons, naturally be limited, and it is 
to your advantage to make every foot count. 
If you must repeat a scene, take a new angle 
of the setting, otherwise a "close-up." 

Many excellent photoplays are spoiled 
through onlookers being permitted to butt 
Into a scene. The producing of an exterior 
always attracts a crowd, and nothing de- 
tracts more from the dramatic value of a 
scene than persons who stare hard at the 
camera. This may be obviated if you take 
scenes early In the morning, when few folks 
are about, or by rigging up a dummy camera 
to deceive the curious ones. 

286 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Exterior work, of course, depends 
wholly on the vagaries of the weather. 
Clear work is essential, for bad photography 
shows up awfully bad on the screen and 
often hides important "business" put over 
by the players. Select, therefore, a clear 
day. If the sun is shining, the camera 
should be pointed north, so that there will 
be no shadows to place the players at a 
serious disadvantage. 

Results also depend upon the right 
diaphragm being employed. The most effec- 
tive way by which to test the weather con- 
ditions is with a Watklns actimometer. 

The height of the lens is another impor- 
tant detail, and it is one which requires even 
more attention in exteriors, which are taken 
in all kinds of positions. If you run to 
extremes, your players will either appear like 
giants or else like pigmies. It is up to you 
to hit upon a happy medium. There is no 
standard technique, because every worker 
has his own ideas of what viewpoint is best, 
but most cinematographers prefer to focus 
over the actors' heads. You will learn your 
best viewpoint from experience. 

It is highly probable that you will 
require to follow a vehicle In motion. This 
19 287 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

is done by placing the camera on a stand in 
another vehicle which follows behind. 

An artistic way of accentuating a portion 
of action without flashing to and fro is to 
*'panoram" a scene. This is done by letting 
the tripod head slowly revolve in the desired 
direction. 

Lastly, when you select locations, regard 
them from the angle of an artist, for they 
must be artistic in order to convince. 



288 



LIX 

LIGHTING NIGHT EXTERIORS 

^ I 'HE cinematographer who is anxious to 
•^ increase his versatility — and I have yet 
to know one who is not — will find night- 
work an excellent outlet. 

Night-work in the studio is no different 
from that done by daylight, but exteriors 
may be given a new slant and some unusual 
subjects secured. 

You need not confine yourself to one 
particular kind of picture — night outdoor 
cinematography is equally possible with the 
news film, educational or the regular photo- 
play. 

I have seen views of native processions 
at midnight, campfire and battle scenes. New 
York's Broadway illuminated at night, the 
exterior of a house with the lights shining 
in the windows, and an automobile race in 
the dark. 

I mention these instances to prove the 
scope which exists. 

289 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Now, the vital detail in night cinema- 
tography is getting the artificial lighting just 
right. 

For scenes of short duration and taken 
but a few feet away from the camera, mag- 
nesium or aluminum flashes are generally 
satisfactory. These are made by mixing 
one part of magnesium or aluminum powder 
with four parts of well-dried and finely pow- 
dered sodium, same being placed in long 
cylindrical cardboard cases. 

What has to be guarded against Is the 
powerful light of the flares being exposed 
to the glass of the camera's lens. The 
fogged film which otherwise results may be 
obviated by reflectors. 

If a flare is not long enough for a scene 
of a minute or so's duration, somebody 
must be ready with another light before the 
first one goes out, or the camera stopped 
while the change Is made. 

In developing the film, plain metol 
should be employed so as to eliminate 
harshness. 

A more reliable device for all-round 
night-work is the Panchroma Portable Arc- 
lamp, which has been effectively employed 
as automobile and locomotive headlights, 

290 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

street-lamps, burglar-lamps and searchlights 
on vessels. This is to name but a few of 
Its accomplishments. 

It contains two arcs which require fifteen 
amperes at no volts, giving forth eight 
thousand candle-power. 

The lamp is decidedly distinctive In that 
the same solenoid feeds the two arcs, which 
waste comparatively little resistance current, 
as they operate In series, with fifty volts 
across the arc. 

The lamp Is exceedingly easy to carry, 
Its weight not exceeding twenty pounds. 
D. C. or A. C. current may be used, and the 
lamp is easily connected where electric cur- 
rent is obtainable, as it Is self-contained with 
collapsible reflector, necessary resistance 
wires, etc. 

The light Is of a soft, brilliant tone. 
This Is because the small carbon Is subjected 
to chemical treatment, with the result that 
the ultra-violet and a tiny portion of the 
spectrum are discarded. 

The blue portion of the spectrum often 
prevents photographic daylight In that the 
blue is accentuated. This lamp produces a 
varied range of colors and shadows. 



291 



LX 

LIGHTING INTERIORS 

DADLY lighted Interiors do an untold 
•■-^ amount of harm to a motion picture, 
and must be guarded against. 

In some of the efforts of the regular 
producers, who should know better, I have 
seen the interiors so dimly lighted that they 
reminded me of the utmost depths of gloom. 
On the other hand, at times the illumination 
has been so unskillfully arranged that the 
features of the players' faces were blotted 
out. 

It is the easiest thing in the world to 
make a blunder in the lighting of interiors. 
I will take it for granted that you have not 
yet obtained a studio. Out in California, 
and even In the East during the summer 
months. It Is possible to stage Interiors in 
the open. This is usually done on a plat- 
form, without the aid of artificial light. 
The wind plays havoc with the window- 
curtains of such interiors. 

292 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

There are, however, many days in the 
year when this inexpensive method is out of 
the question because of the weather, so you 
will need an indoor studio rather than 
remain idle. 

The ideal location for a studio is one 
facing north and south, in an elevated posi- 
tion, so that other buildings will not shield 
the flood of daylight. It is preferable that 
the roof be about twenty feet above the 
stage. Glass should be used for the roof, 
and the glass should extend to within three 
feet of the ground on each side. 

The regular motion-picture producers 
vse three kinds of lamps for interiors; 
namely, the mercury vapor-lamp, the arc 
and the thousand-watt gas-filled incandes- 
cent. If these skilled workers have found 
them entirely practical, then you can not do 
better than do likewise. 

There will be days when the light which 
filters through will require but little artificial 
aid, and in this connection the thousand-watt 
gas-filled incandescent is unequaled. 

But on those days when the daylight is 
Inferior, the other two lamps may be 
adopted. Of the two, I would advise the 
mercury-vapor lamp. 

293 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The arc sheds such brilliant rays that it 
seriously affects the eyes of the players, who 
strive hard not to show the fact in their 
work. Not infrequently a player has to 
take a day off, as the after-result is inflam- 
mation of the eyes. 

To the layman the mercury-vapor lamp 
does not seem so powerful; it does not con- 
sume so much current and yet gives a nice, 
soft light for photographic purposes. The 
mercury-vapor lamp is in the form of a 
tube, from twenty-eight to seventy-five inches 
long, with a 500-6000 candle capacity. The 
advantage of these lamps is that they light 
a fairly large area. 

The motion-picture producers, as a rule, 
arrange the tubes in unit banks, each one 
containing eight tubes. 

The reflectors supplied in connection 
with the tubes are satisfactory for still 
photography work, but motion-picture ex- 
posures are so short that double the number 
of lamps is needed. It is therefore advis- 
able to employ white enameled semi-cylin- 
drical reflectors. 

Next is the arrangement of the lamps. 
If you desire to take big scenes, you can not 
do better than adopt the fixed-light method. 

294 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The use of portable lights, however, 
allows you to concentrate all your lighting 
facilities on a single small scene. 

You may use overhead trolley or mono 
rails for switching the lights in the desired 
position, or else have the lights fixed onto 
frames and moved on casters. 

The best article to use when it is 
necessary to shut out overhead light is 
a heavy canvas screen, which you should 
fix by ropes above the players' heads. 
This should be attached in such a way 
that it is easy to cut off any angle of side 
lighting. 

You can not light every scene in a like 
manner; you have to be governed by the 
principles of interior lighting; if, for in- 
stance, the time is twilight, you must suggest 
the shades of night. The same is true of 
the Interiors of a workingman's home and a 
millionaire's mansion. 

Much depends on the staging being In 
harmony, and things to be avoided are 
glossy white bric-a-brac and deep black pic- 
ture-frame and furniture. 

The most general principle of lighting Is 
on a gradual scale. Make It more power- 
ful on one side than on Its neighbor, and 

295 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

also make the light stronger at the front of 
the set than at the back. 

You must also take care of the top 
lighting, and the attention to all these details 
insures the players being shown up In relief. 

Do not neglect to provide adequate ven- 
tilation, for the powerful artificial light is 
apt to make the studio stuffy. In the summer 
months the heat is almost unbearable. 



296 



LXI 

STAGING INTERIORS 

QTAGING the interior sets in a photoplay 
^ is not so easy as it looks. One is apt to 
credit the regular motion-picture producers, 
by their extensive experience, with being 
perfect in this important detail, yet the fact 
remains that they commit an awful blunder 
every now and then. 

Who has not seen films in which the 
clock kept the same time, although several 
hours' lapse of time occurred? Maybe you 
have also spotted furniture of a wrong 
period in a historical production. A con- 
nected telephone in a vacated house is also 
a common error. 

These are some of the things the aver- 
age director has gotten into the habit of 
overlooking. It is not because he is afraid 
to stage them that he avoids interiors 
wherever possible. Expense is the deciding 
factor. 

You, as an amateur, might deem an 
297 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

interior necessary in many places which the 
director would cover up with an exterior or 
leader. Supposing, for instance, you have 
the extremely likely situation of a character 
going into a store to make a purchase. In 
all probability nothing takes place, of im- 
portance to the play, inside the store. Why, 
then, go to the expense and trouble of stag- 
ing such a scene? 

I will tell you what a regular director 
does when confronted by such a problem. 
He shows the actor entering the store, after 
which he introduces a scene from another 
portion of the play. He then switches back 
to the same exterior, which now shows the 
actor coming out of the store with his pur- 
chase. 

There is also the well-worn situation of 
the hero proposing to the heroine. Is It 
necessary that this should be done In the 
parlor? If not. It may be filmed In the 
garden or a similar place, with equally good 
results. 

And when a director does introduce an 
interior he generally contrives to make it 
work precious hard. He will have It appear 
near the beginning and continue at intervals 
during the play until the end. 

298 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

I want also to Impress upon you the fact 
that the fewer interiors in your local play, 
the better it will be. Since you will wish to 
know my reason, I may say that you natu- 
rally want to make your local photoplay 
decidedly distinctive in character. Your 
actors and story help to this end, but what 
audiences will look forward to most will be 
familiar local backgrounds. Those put on 
inside the studio can not be any different 
from those contained in a regular photoplay, 
so only make use of interiors when abso- 
lutely necessary and there is no other way 
of avoiding them. 

Some directors are addicted to the bad 
practice of faking exteriors. Probably the 
director will be called upon to stage an out- 
door, summer party scene in New York in 
December. It is, naturally. Impossible to 
obtain the desired backgrounds when the 
country is snow and ice bound. A troupe of 
players could, of course, be sent to either 
Florida or California, but the expense would 
be prohibitive. 

Natural backgrounds represent the great- 
est charm of the motion picture, and It Is 
therefore all the more deplorable to see a 
director follow In the footsteps of the so- 

299 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

called legitimate stage, which, by its limita- 
tions, is compelled to adopt such methods. 

I say, and will repeat, that if you are 
unable to secure the exteriors you require, 
leave the play alone until you can. In the 
interim you are free to proceed with an- 
other. 

I well remember reading the exp@»rlences 
of two young men who started a feature 
film company. The faults they made in the 
putting on of interiors were to stage a 
garden scene In a conservatory and permit 
the roof and sides to show in the picture. 

Another interior revealed a stage-hand 
calmly walking in at the back of the scene, 
while a mirror In one of the scenes was 
placed in such an Inappropriate position that 
It disclosed the camera man turning the 
crank. 

It is absolutely essential that the canvas 
employed for the scenery has not been 
painted upon before, because there Is the 
big chance that the portions which are 
invisible to the naked eye will come out on 
the film. 

In painting a scene, you are no doubt 
under the Impression that black and white 
are most adapted for photographic pur- 

300 



MOTIOiN PICTURE EDUCATION 

poses. They are not, however, but, instead, 
Impart a funeral appearance to a scene. 

The most effective colors to use are 
brown and white of the same hues. In no 
case should different tints be mixed, but an 
equal mixture be made of the same shades 
of these two colors. 

The actors are nov/ called upon to accen- 
tuate the coloring scheme by being dressed 
in clothes which afford a powerful con- 
trast of light and dark. Dark brown or 
blue and yellow will photograph most satis- 
factorily. 

It might be well for me to point out 
that in such a scene as the interior of a log 
cabin, where a player opens the door reveal- 
ing a mountain or prairie back-drop, this 
should not be photographed too close to the 
camera, else its artificialness will be readily 
apparent. In the painting of a back-drop a 
lighter white and a darker brown should be 
used than In the near scenery. The latter 
must likewise be substantial, as it would not 
do to see an actor lean against a wall and 
Its flimslness be shown. 

Such "props" as armor and silver plate 
may reflect In such a way as to distract, 
attention fro*n the players. To take the^ 

301 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

brightness out of shiny articles, it is advis- 
able to rub soap over them. 

In regard to furniture, oak gives rather 
a doleful appearance to a room, while wal- 
nut produces a satisfactory effect under all 
conditions. Mahogany, however, comes out 
far too glossy. You should also place 
satinwood and marqueterie on the taboo list, 
as they both photograph the direct opposite. 

Always make a point of having your 
principal actors near to the middle of a 
scene. Then, if you want to put across a 
bit of ''business" which can not be shown in 
the full scene, it is easy to inject a close-up. 

You should also see that no actor hides 
the action of another, nor allow their heads 
to be in a straight line. 

You had best set the camera upon a tall 
tripod, as then there will be no danger of 
the players appearing shorter than they 
actually are. The best way to prevent them 
from getting out of focus is to draw a 
chalk-line all round the area covered by the 
camera. 



302 



LXII 

TRICK EFFECTS 

nPRICK effects are so common in regular 
'■• photoplays that you may desire to 
experiment on a small scale. 

Suppose the character lies asleep in a 
chair; the soul removes itself from the body, 
walks about the room as though through 
air, and finally goes back to the body. 

You would have to film this situation 
twice on the same strip of negative, making 
the two images superpose. First gradually 
close the lens to zero, but on the second 
exposure open up the diaphragm in a like 
way. Before re-exposing the wound-back 
film remove the gauge. 

Another good effect is that in which the 
players fancy a ghost is in their midst. The 
actors must remain perfectly still, which is 
very hard if they have to put over any 
emotional work. Rehearse these scenes 
carefully and mark with chalk the exact 
path the ghost takes, for the "ghost" must 
20 303 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



also know his bearings if his actions are to 
tally. 

First film the actors and permit the 
ghost to do his stunts all alone. After com- 
pleting the two negatives, place one at a 
time in a rotary printing-machine and turn 
the negative film towards the unexposed and 
sensitive side of a positive print. Pass the 
two films at the same time so that an impres- 
sion is made. Repeat the process through 
the printing-machine with the second nega- 
tive, after which develop the positive print 
in the ordinary manner. 

Suppose you introduce a player in a dual 
role and desire him on the stage in both 
parts at the same time. The two characters 
can not come in actual contact, so the best 
a player can do is . to "register" at the 
proper times. 

Divide the scene into two component 
parts with the aid of a thread. Attach a 
piece of black cardboard to the front of the 
camera so that only half of the lens is 
exposed. Place the camera in the exact 
middle of the set, and when the action in 
one-half is completed, attend to the other 
half, but before "shooting" remove the 
hood to the other side of the lens. 

304 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

You must take care of perspective, for 
if the hero and the villain are one and the 
same, it would be up to you to keep them 
both at the same distance from the camera. 
If, for instance, the hero was allowed to 
remain in the background, while the villain 
was near the camera, they would appear 
respectively as a pigmy and a giant. 

Maybe you have wondered if there are 
any secrets about taking close-ups, especially 
those showing facial studies. As the lower 
part of the body is concealed from view, it 
is very simple to lay foot-guides on the 
studio floor. These should be six-inch strips 
of wood, from six to eight feet long, held 
upright by braces. Arrange them in V 
shape. This method insures perfect natural- 
ness on the part of the players In taking 
their poses. 

The keyhole, or magnifying, effect is 
technically termed a "mask." Attach a 
rectangular-shaped metal plate, the size of 
w^hich should be one inch by three-quarters 
of an inch, to the lens of the camera. Inside 
the first mask fix another to correspond 
with the shape desired. 

The dissolving in and out of scenes is 
far superior to the old, abrupt method, and 

305 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

is especially effective in visualizing people's 
thoughts. 

Attach a lever to the diaphragm and 
shut off at the conclusion of a scene. Wind 
the first exposed film back to the camera's 
upper box, and keep the diaphragm almost 
closed when commencing to expose the sec- 
ond scene. Gradually open the diaphragm. 

Maybe you will want to show a vision 
in the corner of a scene. Proceed by placing 
a mask in the lens shade. The shape of 
the mask depends upon the portion of neg- 
ative you wish unexposed, but you will have 
to take the vision scene with a mask which 
tallies with the previously exposed portion. 
To complete the effect, run the film back in 
the top box and expose same for the second 
time, when use a mask that corresponds with 
the previously unexposed portion. 



306 



LXIU 

TACTICS ADOPTED IN FILMING NATURAL 
HISTORY SUBJECTS 

T TNLESS you possess unlimited patience, 
^^ do not attempt natural history subjects, 
as you are at war with Nature, and you 
know what that means. 

I honestly believe we can learn a whole 
lot from the experiences of others, hence my 
reason for mentioning the tactics adopted 
by other cinematographers. 

Edward A. Salisbury, who has put 
Amicrica on the natural history map, secured 
some snr-ppy views of the eagle by climbing 
up an exceedingly tall pine-tree, struggling 
gamely w^ith his camera, which weighed 
eighty pounds. To guard against possible 
attacks on the part of the mother bird, he 
carried a nasty-looking stick. It proved, 
however, no easy task to fix the camera 
in the top boughs of this majestic forest 
specimen, so he tried one way and another 
until the machine would keep in position, 

307 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

and then had the utmost difficulty in 
coaxing the young eagles to remain in their 
nests. 

To obtain a film study of herons, he 
made screens out of vegetation growths 
picked from a tract haunted by the birds. 
These screens were so cleverly arranged to 
match the undergrowth that even Mr. Salis- 
bury himself, on returning the next morning, 
wandered for over an hour before he could 
locate his hiding-place. He was soon re- 
warded, however, by two male birds appear- 
ing, and, while they indulged in a scrap a la 
Jack Johnson, he turned the crank of the 
camera. Imagine, if you can, his disap- 
pointment when, upon developing the nega- 
tive, he found that a blade of grass had 
obstructed the view of the lens. 

I happen to know of one cinematogra- 
pher who attempted to film the kingfisher. 
He went about it by studying the haunts of 
the kingfisher for himself, after which he 
took up quarters in a stream at a place 
where it was four feet deep. Over his head 
and shoulders he placed a large mask 
formed of tree branches, and when a king- 
fisher ventured within view he moved 
cautiously so as to deceive the bird into 

308 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

thinking that the boughs were being floated 
along by the current. 

And where was his camera? That, let 
me tell you, was under his sheltering con- 
trivance, fixed to an anchored floating base. 
His first filming effort was a failure, for the 
camera's clicking noise frightened the bird 
away. 

But one futile attempt did not daunt 
this enterprising young man, for he next 
procured another camera and attached it to 
the same floating base. Day after day he 
waited for the regular appearance of his 
victim, and turned the handle of the second 
camera, which was minus any film. This 
went on for seven weeks, at the end of 
which time the kingfisher paid no attention 
to the w^orking of the motion-picture ma- 
chine. All he had to show for his untiring 
efforts was a strip of film, two hundred feet 
in length. 

Some birds are cliff-dwellers, and this 
introduces an element of danger. The cine- 
matographer usually works with a tripod- 
less camera, and has himself lowered down 
a tall cliff on a rope. The extra-powerful 
lens comes in handy to approach the birds 
at a distance, unawares. 

309 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Equally tedious to film are those birds 
that favor the ground for building their 
nests, for, apart from requiring considerable 
skill to focus the apparatus in the right 
angle, it is hard to "snap" the feathered 
creatures off their guard. 

Prof. Raymond L. Ditmars, Curator of 
Reptiles at the New York Zoological Park, 
produces natural history pictures as a hobby, 
and in putting on a recent subject, "The 
Moonlight Habits of the Lance-head 
Snake," he had a very narrow escape. 
Mercury-vapor lamps gave the desired 
lighting effect, and paper was rustled to 
make the reptile think there was an animal 
close at hand. Ditmars, who, in addition 
to working the paper stunt, began turning 
the crank, was congratulating himself on 
the excellent picture it was going to prove, 
for the snake first moved his head and 
wriggled his body to make the letter S 
several times. He then leaped right in 
front of the camera, but, fortunately, Mr. 
Ditmars had the presence of mind to step 
aside, the reptile landing within a foot of 
him. 

The operator, when handling a cobra 
for the movies, usually keeps a safe distance 

310 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

away and employs a motor-engine to work 
his camera. The wiseness of these pre- 
cautions can not be disputed, for the camera 
is oftentimes disfigured with deadly venom. 
I therefore consider Mr. Ditmars rather 
reckless when he decided to obtain a picture 
of the deadly ringed cobra. 

He and his wife, who assisted him, 
deemed it advisable to wear auto-goggles as 
a protection against the sprayed poison. 
The electric motor, attached to the camera, 
turned the crank, the snake being but four 
feet away. A long pole was employed to 
coax the cobra up close to the machine, but 
Mrs. Ditmars wanted the snake to display 
his spiteful nature, so she waved a handker- 
chief in his direction. Before you could say 
''Jack Robinson" its temper was up and the 
snake made one big leap for the lens of the 
camera. Finding its progress hindered, it 
calmed down for a moment, stepped back, 
and advanced toward Mrs. Ditmars, who 
thought her last moment had come. Luckily, 
however, she stepped on the housing of an 
electrical coil, the cobra gliding by under 
her feet. 

But the filming of wild beasts in their 
native haunts is attended by all sorts of 

311 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

dangers. Usually an artificial animal or 
tree-trunk is employed for the purposes of 
concealment. Such a structure is hollow 
inside and usually made of cork, with the 
painting of the animal or tree-trunk outside. 
The operator enters the structure from the 
rear, and, to provide for the long hours of 
waiting, the concealing structure has a 
special compartment containing refreshments 
and a stove. All the time he watches 
through the peep-holes, and as soon as his 
quarry comes within range, he sets to work. 
But for days previous to this the electric 
motor has been deputizing for the clock- 
work mechanism of the camera, in order to 
get the animals accustomed to the sound. 

Wild animals possess such a keen sense 
of smell that they can detect a human being 
a long distance off, and, to disguise his 
presence, the operator covers himself with 
some vile-smelling liquid. 



312 



LXIV 

TAKING MOTION PICTURES FROM AN 
AEROPLANE 

T TOW rare it Is to come across a motion 
-■■ •*• picture taken from an aeroplane! 
Those, however, showing a flylng-machlne 
in full flight are as plentiful as strawberries 
in June. There surely must be some reason 
for this apparent lack of enterprise. It is 
because such films are very difficult to 
produce. 

Naturally, you could not operate a tri- 
pod motion-picture camera from an aero- 
plane, while traveling. The apparatus is 
far too clumsy. What is required, in my 
opinion, is a special hand camera, for it 
must be remembered that you are at logger- 
heads with the principles of cinematography. 

The chief difficulty encountered when 
working In the air is that the aeroplane flies 
at too high an altitude for the earth below 
to be sufficiently distinguishable. You may 
use the longest focus lens possible, but it is 

313 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

hard to regulate the speed. An aeroplane 
travels so swiftly that the resulting pictures 
are apt to be blurred, hence the many 
failures. 

What Is necessary is a shutter which will 
take pictures at many times the regulation 
sixteen-a-second speed. 

Personally speaking, I am a booster for 
air cinematography because it is a phase of 
motion-picture work which has been little 
exploited. It permits of some wonderful 
panoramic effects, especially over towns. 

The possibilities In this direction are 
unlimited, and I am confident that any 
experiments would be worth while. 

It will be reassuring for you to know 
that there have been some successful aero- 
plane ventures with a motion-picture camera, 
and It Is with the intention of helping 
you In your work that I shall proceed 
to relate the experiences of the principal 
exponents. 

Several years ago John C. Hemmett, of 
African-hunt fame, put over a filming stunt 
from a hydro-aeroplane. He made a test 
over Marblehead Bay, Massachusetts, and 
attached a contrivance of his own invention 
to the propelling motor of the flying- 

314 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

machine, this automatically turning the 
crank. 

At first it seemed as though Mr. Hem- 
mett and his camera were a too heavy 
burden for the aeroplane to carry, for they 
turned the scale at 265 pounds, while the 
machine weighed approximately 100 pounds, 
apart from the airman. 

Mr. Hemmett set the crank In operation 
when they rose to a height of 150 feet. The 
first subject that came to his "net" was a 
bunch of wild ducks flying up from the 
water in a hysterical state. The aviator 
kept these in view while Mr. Hemmett 
exposed some "meaty" film. 

The flight occupied eight minutes, during 
which time the cinematographer attained a 
height of three hundred feet and took sev- 
eral hundred feet of negative. His other 
subjects included excellent coast-line views, 
rigged schooners at anchor and half-sub- 
merged reefs. The speed at which these 
were taken was sixty miles per hour. 

The most notable motion-picture feat of 
19 14 in Europe was the filming from an 
aeroplane of the arrival of the King and 
Queen of England in Calais Harbor. 

Mr. R. A. Ferguson, the clever, ani- 

315 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

mated newspaper man, attributed his success 
to the "Aeroscope" camera, which has sim- 
plified outdoor cinematography. His flight 
consumed an hour altogether. He soared 
to a great height during the first part of the 
trip, but eventually swooped down to within 
two hundred feet of the yacht. The hardest 
task of all was keeping the yacht in focus, 
for the aeroplane circled unsteadily. 

Recently Giovanni Fabbri, attached to 
the Aviation Corps of the Italian army, 
invented an automatic tripodless camera. 
This enables panoramic views to be obtained 
when an aeroplane is in mid-air. In the 
camera are two bobbins, over which the roll 
of film winds and unwinds. One side of the 
film is perforated at places equally apart. 
The tooth in the camera, on coming in con- 
tact with a perforation, automatically brings 
the film to a standstill. This frees the shut- 
ter and results in an exposure. A tiny 
propeller, set in motion by the air, serves 
to unroll the film. The camera can be 
manipulated as high as four thousand feet. 

The free-lance who can successfully sur- 
mount the problems which have arisen in 
connection with air cinematography will 
reap the rewards of his labors. 

316 



LXV 

FILM STOCK TROUBLES IN THE TROPICS 

ONCE you switch your operations from 
the temperate zone to the tropical, you 
will find yourself confronted with new prob- 
lems, which result through the unhealthy 
climate, uncertain light values and the in- 
tense heat. 

I know of a cinematographer w^ho made 
a trip to the Canal Zone during the rainy 
season. When he removed the film stock 
from the cans, it was soft, and, within an 
hour of placing it in the box of the camera, 
it was as wet as wet could be, while the 
following morning It was completely cov- 
ered with mildew. 

How may this be avoided? One cine- 
matographer, working in the heart of 
Africa, deemed it advisable to carry the 
film stock in a cooling-case, built along the 
lines of the vacuum flask, and prevented the 
exterior from becoming hot by covering 
same with cool banana leaves. Unfortu- 

317 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

nately, however, this camera man would not 
reveal the details of his invention, so we 
must confine ourselves to the generally 
followed plan. 

Before setting out on your journey, store 
the film in air-tight cans and place adhesive 
plaster all round the edges of the lids. 

If you take my advice, you will not 
burden yourself with more film than you 
actually need, as it deteriorates rapidly. If 
you can arrange to have small consignments 
dispatched as required, so much the better. 

Once you have arrived at your destina- 
tion, select a dry and cool place for the film- 
boxes, which are kept in a better condition 
if placed in an ash-can or some other air- 
tight receptacle, not overlooking to include 
a dish of fused calcium chloride. 

Reload the camera only just before you 
plan to "shoot." 

You may experience considerable diffi- 
culty in turning the crank, for the heat is 
apt to heat the brass and make it too hot to 
be operated with the bare hands. A pair 
of gloves will therefore come in handy. 

The developing is best done on the spot 
with as little delay as possible. 

A camera man of my acquaintance told 
318 



MOTION PIGTURE EDUCATION 

me of his experiences while working in the 
Sudan. He discovered that sunrise was the 
ideal time for developing, since the air is 
not too warm, and the water, which has 
been standing in canvas buckets since the 
heat of the previous day, is nice and cool. 

This operator utilized an oblong-built 
straw hut, 17 x 11 feet, for his dark room. 
The inner covering, to keep out the light, 
was a red and black Turkey cloth, slightly 
smaller in size. No ventilation was pro- 
vided, although there were openings both at 
the top and the end. These were to accom- 
modate the wooden frames, over which were 
placed ruby glass, ground glass and thin 
wire netting. 

He made his own developing-frame out 
of native timber, shaped like a 3 feet 6 
inches drum, and painted it with a paraffin 
w^ax. 

My friend also needed two troughs, one 
for the developer and the other for hypo, 
and made these of wood, joining the sec- 
tions together with pitch. He allowed for 
a space of an inch to occur between the 
film and the trough interior when at work. 
Each trough had two wings, so that the 
developer and hypo would be caught on 
21 319 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

falling from the film, thence conveyed back 
into the trough's well. 

To hold the axle carrying the drum, he 
equipped both of the troughs with slotted 
side arms. 

The developing materials used were B. 
& W. "Tabloid" pyro-soda and a little bro- 
mide of potassium. He used eight cartons 
to develop two hundred feet of film, and 
placed the solution in a bucket half filled 
with water. 



320 



LXVI 

DEVELOPING THE NEGATIVE 

OOME clnematographers, like ^he amateur 
^ photographer who has his films devel- 
oped at the corner drugstore, may prefer to 
entrust the developing of their negatives to 
hands more skilled than theirs. Others, 
however, will prefer to master the difficult 
art of developing. It is to advise the latter 
that this article has been written. 

The first essential is a suitable dark 
room. This must be well ventilated and 
kept spotlessly clean. There should also 
be plenty of room to move about in, while 
the temperature is another important point, 
best results being obtained when the heat is 
between 6^ and 75 Fahr. 

The illumination may be candle, gas or 
electricity, and you have equal choice be- 
tween a red, green or yellow light. Somfe 
workers are naturally careless; not neces- 
sarily because they are Inefficient, but be- 
cause familiarity breeds contempt. Blacken 

321 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the walls as a precaution against leaving 
doors ajar and other sources through which 
daylight may filter. 

The selection of suitable apparatus is 
the next important detail. This should 
consist of the following articles: one devel- 
oping-rack, three developing trays or tanks, 
one drying-drum. 

The developing-rack is used to wind the 
exposed negative and is not hard to con- 
struct. To hold about one hundred feet of 
film you will need a frame thirty-three 
inches square. This should be of teak and 
the sides of thicker wood than the ends. 
Round the ends of the end bars. 

You do not want the strips of film to 
become tangled, so separate each by driving 
headless brass nails at distances of one and 
one-half inches apart, and projecting about 
one-fourth inch on both of the side bars. 

Wind the film by attaching the end with 
a drawing-pin to the top bar. Manipulate 
it away from you, taking care to keep each 
strip of film in its proper section. As wet 
film expands, wind it tightly. 

You will need a support for the rack, 
and the best is a strong wooden frame. 

I now come to the developing-trays, 
322 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

preferably flat and of stoneware. They 
should have a depth of at least two inches, 
and if it is about fifteen inches square, it 
will hold the developing-frame, with one 
hundred feet of film, nicely. 

Should you decide to make a wooden 
frame, it must be both water and chemical 
proof. Some cinematographers use oil- 
cloth, but I do not think you can excel 
sheet zinc or lead for lining the trays. 

Use one of the trays each for develop- 
ing, washing and fixing the negative. 

The next essential is a drying-drum. 
Bearing that one hundred feet of film In 
mind, this should be one foot three inches 
in diameter. Procure two wooden discs; 
nail a bunch of thin wooden strips, say, one 
and one-half inches apart. In the center of 
each disc bore a hole so as to accommodate 
the axle. Make two wooden supports, one 
at each end, on which the axle rests. 

While there are several brands of film 
stock on the market, the most widely used 
kind is Eastman. Each manufacturer has 
his own formula, so I can not do better than 
confine myself to the one recommended by 
the Eastman Company. Here it is: 

Water (8 1-3 imperial gallons), 10 U. 
323 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

S. gals.; metol, i8o grains; sodium sulphite 
(des), 31 lbs. 5 ozs. ; hydrochinon, 8 oz.; 
sodium carbonate (des.) i lb. 9 oz.; potas- 
sium bromide, i oz. 63 grs.; citric acid, 400 
grs.; potassium metabisulphite, 2 oz. 

Make this solution up just prior to 
developing. It will generally keep for two 
weeks, during which time you may use it 
for other negatives. 

Let us now pretend we have produced a 
one-hundred-feet subject, and, as we know 
that negatives do not improve in their unex- 
posed state, we immediately proceed to 
develop. 

The first thing we do is to weigh and 
mix the chemicals, which is no easy job if 
you havd not had previous experience. Do 
not guess the weighing, for the slightest 
deviation in the standard formula will upset 
the whole bag of tricks. See that your pair 
of scales is true — free from dust and other 
harmful ingredients. 

There is a knack in mixing the chemicals. 
First mix all the chemicals, with the excep- 
tion of sodium carbonate and potassium 
bromide, in a vessel filled with warm water, 
which is improved with the addition of a 
drachm of preservative. Next dissolve the 

324 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

two remaining chemicals in another vessel, 
the contents of which pour into the develop- 
ing-tray and fill up with water. 

After this empty the first vessel into the 
developing-tray and mix well. Enameled 
buckets are ideal vessels for the purpose. 
If you follow this procedure, you will save 
much time and trouble. However, if you 
are a beginner and would prefer not to 
experiment until you get your bearings, pur- 
chase developing powders from your nearest 
photographic dealer. The correct propor- 
tion for the developing-tray we have in mind 
is five powders, which will cost you about 
twenty cents. 

Wind the film on the developing-frame 
and place same carefully in the developing- 
tray. Remove any bubbles that appear, with 
a soft camel's-hair brush. Keep the tem- 
perature of the developing solution between 
6^ and 70 degrees, and move the frame 
about every two minutes so that the solution 
produces even development. If you have 
developed a photographic plate, you will 
readily detect when it is suf^ciently devel- 
oped. 

This over, place the frame in the rins- 
ing-tray, which should contain plain water. 

325 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

It is now ready for the fixing bath. Here, 
again, are pitfalls for the careless. Dissolve 
in each pint of warm water not less than 
four and not more than eight ounces of 
clean hypocrystals. Before doing this place 
the hypo in a sheet of linen and tie up in a 
bag, which place below the surface of the 
fixing-tray. In this way the heavy liquid 
falls to the bottom of its own accord, while 
grit and splinters remain in the bag and you 
avoid spoiling the emulsion of the undevel- 
oped negative. Now place the frame and 
allow it to remain until the film is trans- 
parent. 

Next attach a rubber tube to the faucet 
and wash the film for about an hour. 

The only thing necessary now is to dry 
the film. Most studios have special drying- 
rooms in which the films are wound on huge 
drums and dried by electrically heated air. 
A one-horse-power motor serves to drive 
the drums. 

I know of one studio which has cut down 
the time necessary to one-quarter by oper- 
ating a 3,000-watt air heater behind each 
drum. In the ordinary way it takes from 
seven to ten hours to dry a reel. 

But your methods will necessarily not be 
326 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

so far advanced. To transfer the negative, 
attach the end of the film on the drum, turn- 
ing same slowly while unwinding the film 
from the developing-frame. An electric fan 
will quicken the drying, but a warm room 
is the next best. 



327 



LXVII 

HOW TO TAKE FILM TITLES 

OOME films require little assistance from 
^ the "doctor," but every picture needs 
at least one title. There are, of course, 
different kinds of explanatory matter. 

The main title is self-explanatory, but 
the most widely employed device is the sub- 
title. It is so called because it acts as a 
guide over stumbling-blocks; that is, when 
something can not be explained in pictures. 
It is used in all types of films. 

But the screen message is practically 
confined to the regular photoplay, where it 
may be in the form of a letter, newspaper 
clipping or telegram. 

The methods in vogue at the various 
studios differ, but in all cases the titling 
details are attended to after the play has 
been completed. 

Undoubtedly the most simple and inex- 
pensive way is to cut out the letters care- 
fully on white cardboard. If, however, you 

328 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

do not wish to go to this trouble, engage a 
sign-painter to draw them on a sheet of 
white cardboard. 

If you adopt the former method, place 
the letters on a flat surface against a black 
background, allowing an equal space between 
each word. To photograph same correctly, 
place the camera box on a stand directly 
above and arrange the lens so that it faces 
downward towards the middle of the title. 

Use positive stock in the camera, and be 
sure to turn the emulsion side away from 
the lens, as, if this is not done, your title 
will be filmed backwards. 

Why I advise the use of positive stock 
Is because you obtain greater contrasty 
results, but you can not be too certain of the 
correct exposure, which you should test with 
a film meter. 

In developing, take good care that the 
letter is transparent and on an opaque 
ground. The following formula has been 
tested and proven: 

Glycin, 1% lbs.; sodium sulphite, 2H 
lbs. ; potassium carbonate, 6 lbs. ; water, to 
60 pints. 

After you have developed the negative, 
print a positive from the same and use it as 

329 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



the title negative. Attach this to the com- 
plete negative in the correct place and join 
with acetone cement. 

Allow one foot of film for each word, 
so that it is easy to calculate the footage 
necessary for a title. 

Although a well-lighted room is suitable 
for taking titles, you will obtain more satis- 
factory results if you can supply artificial 
light, one lamp at each side of the camera. 



330 



LXVIII 

PRINTING POSITIVE COPIES 

nnO one not conversant with clnematog- 
■■• raphy, the next stage after developing 
the negative would appear to be printing 
the positive, but there is another process in 
between — editing. This work consists of 
inserting such titles as are necessary to 
make the film clear, and using the pruning- 
knife freely in spots where the film lacks 
interest. If you do this, you will only 
waste negative stock, but if you leave this 
important detail until after the positives are 
printed, you will have waste of raw stock 
on every print to account for. 

The printing-machines used by the reg- 
ular producers are too costly for the average 
amateur, who may make a passable printer 
out of his camera. 

The lighting is an important factor, and 
electricity is undoubtedly far superior to 
anything else. Failing this, however, either 
gas or acetylene may be substituted. 

331 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

You have to fix up the camera, and you 
start by taking away the lens. Open the 
shutter wide and equip the top with an arm, 
to which attach a spindle, to hold the nega- 
tive film-spool. Now place the camera on 
a table or bench against a wooden partition, 
cutting a little opening so that the electric 
bulb or gas-burner, which you install near 
same, reflects a light. 

Blacken a cardboard tube; place one 
end in the camera opening and the other 
in the partition entrance. This will carry 
the light into the camera. 

Fill the upper film-box with the unex- 
posed positive stock and insert same into 
the camera. Thread the negative via the 
upper slot, after which thread the positive 
below the guide roller, then below the upper 
sprockets to the gate, where It meets the 
negative, finally leaving the lower slot. It 
is highly Important that both gelatine sur- 
faces touch each other. 

Shut the camera and turn the handle, the 
speed of which depends on how the negative 
has been developed. If overexposed, take 
your time over it. 

Develop the positive In the same manner 
as you would the negative. 

332 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

In order to bring out certain effects, 
black and white may fall flat, so you resort 
to tinting. 

If you have some fire scenes, the follow- 
ing formula will answer your purpose : 

Distilled water, 80 gallons; film red R 
No. I, I pound; citric acid, 13 ounces. 

Orange helps to make rooms illuminated 
by artificial light impressive, the formula 
for which I give below : 

Distilled water, 80 gallons; film orange 
G No. 6, 15 ounces; citric acid, 7^ ounces. 

Yellow, on the other hand, is excellent 
for suggesting midday sunshine in exteriors. 
Here goes: 

Distilled water, 80 gallons; film yellow^ 
T No. 5, I pound; citric acid, 7^ ounces. 

Night scenes look perfectly natural when 
tinted a dark blue. This Is the formula : 

Distilled water, 80 gallons; film blue G 
No. 4, 10 ounces; citric acid, 10 ounces. 

You will now require one bath for each 
solution, and the work has to be done with 
great care, for the particular scene may be 
In the middle of a reel. You will, of course, 
already have It wound on a wooden frame, 
so, to prevent It from getting tangled, re- 
wind same on another frame until you reacL 

333 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



the particular place. Dip the strip in 
the bath and leave it there for about 
five minutes, after which rinse same for 
about a minute in order to free it of 

excess dye. 



334 



LXIX 

HOME MOTION-PICTURE ENTERTAIN- 
MENTS AS A SOURCE OF PLEA- 
SURE AND PROFIT 

PILMS cost more to put on than ordinary 
•*■ photographs. On the other hand, there 
are sixteen pictures to each foot of film, so 
when you produce a full-reel subject you 
have no fewer than sixteen thousand sepa- 
rate photographs. 

There are several ways and means of 
extracting both pleasure and profit from the 
hobby or business, according to which angle 
you regard It from, such as by getting the 
local photoplay theaters to remunerate you 
for the privilege of exhibiting your efforts, 
if the negative Is sufficiently widespread in 
appeal and interest. 

But now the motion picture has entered 
the home, and an excellent opportunity pre- 
sents itself to specialize in home entertain- 
ments. I will now proceed to lay out some 
methods for your guidance. 

22 335 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

After you have devoted much time to 
motion-picture photography, you will, natu- 
rally, have gotten together a collection of 
films. These will probably embrace several 
classes of educationals, local topicals and 
short local comedies and dramas. 

You will, first of all, need a projection 
machine, if you do not happen to already 
possess one, and there are two kinds of 
these on the market. The miniature pro- 
jector has a shorter throw, but points in its 
favor are that it is easier to manipulate 
and does not consume so much current. It 
also costs about one hundred dollars, while 
the standard machine is three times as 
expensive. 

It is, of course, a matter for you person- 
ally to decide, though if you intend confining 
yourself to exhibitions in ordinary homes, 
the miniature machine will suit just as well. 
In the case of large halls, and so forth, how- 
ever, the large machine stands supreme. 

The authorities will not permit you to 
show films unless you project same under a 
"safety first" roof. In the catalogues of 
the theater equipment concerns you will find 
a film booth listed at fifty dollars. It is 
four feet wide, five feet long and seven feet 

336 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

high. This metal enclosure is just the very 
thing for your purpose, for it is portable, 
and only twenty minutes is occupied in 
erecting it or pulling it down after a show. 

We now approach the problem of a 
satisfactory screen. The size of this will 
depend upon the room itself, so it is advis- 
able to purchase two different sizes. One 
about three feet long by three feet wide 
might about fit in, and another several times 
the size for where big rooms are available. 
The material, I understand, costs anything 
from ninety cents to $3.75 per square yard. 

It is also possible to hold exhibitions at 
garden parties and the like, for there is a 
screen which gives as good results by day as 
by night. 

When you have everything in readiness 
for your operations, the time is ripe to write 
all your friends and acquaintances, soliciting 
their support. Motion-picture home enter- 
tainments are quite a new thing, and offer 
a refreshing change from the usual run of 
social functions. 

Your own film library will fit in like a 
glove, and you will not feel guilty of com- 
peting with the regular photoplay theaters 
In your neighborhood. In this way you will 
23 337 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

be able to retain the friendliness of the 
exhibitors and continue to supply their own 
special needs. 

You have, of course, the option of fixing 
your own territory, but I would recommend 
your not going beyond a radius of several 
miles. This will secure for your films a 
warmer reception, because the spectators 
will evince special interest in knowing that 
they are strictly local efforts. 

If you desire further clients, an adver- 
tisement in the local newspaper, setting forth 
the charms of a private motion-picture enter- 
tainment for social gatherings, at clubs, 
societies and lodges, will no doubt produce 
the desired results. 

The usual fee charged Is ten dollars for 
an hour's entertainment, comprising about 
three reels, and five dollars for each addi- 
tional hour. It Is advisable to vary the 
films as much as possible, for it Is variety 
on which the film industry has been built up. 
You can, for example, have a one-reel educa- 
tional and a drama and comedy, each of the 
same length. 

There are brilliant possibilities in this 
field for the cinematographer who Is enter- 
prising enough to grasp them. 

338 



LXX 

THE VALUE OF PUBLICITY 

I CAN not place too much emphasis upon 
* the value of publicity In connection with 
your motlon-plcture-producing activities. All 
the photoplay manufacturers employ men to 
dispense Information In regard to their plays 
and players. 

The fans are so mighty Inquisitive that 
their Interest really only begins with the 
seeing of a photoplay. They want to know 
how it was produced, and so on. A dozen 
publications thrive on catering to their 
whims, and the exhibitor, too, wants all the 
available information, as it assists him 
greatly in advertising a film which he has 
booked. 

This reminds me of the case of a free- 
lance cinematographer who has attained no 
little success in marketing educatlonals. In- 
stead of disposing of the negative, he m.erely 
sells the number of prints required. 

The manufacturer finds still photographs 
339 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

of great help in advertising a production, 
but this particular free-lance does not take 
any at the time of producing, nor does he 
permit any to be reproduced from the nega- 
tive. The positive gives such indistinct stills 
that they are not worth the trouble taken. 

Several times the publicity director has 
endeavored to obtain a story of his methods, 
and has at last succeeded. The cinematog- 
rapher is perfectly right in keeping some of 
the secrets to himself, but there is much 
scope for legitimate material. 

Publicity in the way of photographs and 
write-ups causes the public and exhibitors to 
be interested in your work, resulting in an 
increased demand for same. It therefore 
does not pay to neglect this phase of your 
activities. 



340 



LXXI 

IMPROVING FILM PRESENTATION BY 
COLOR UGHTING 

TN color-lighting effects the speaking stage 
■■• easily excels. The theatrical boards revel 
in a wealth of colors, which is not the least 
agreeable feature to audiences. How enjoy- 
able it is to see the rapid changing of colors 
to tally with the atmosphere of the scene. 

But on the photoplay screen there Is 
none of this lifelike coloring, and, instead, a 
deadly, monotonous black and white meets 
our gaze throughout the entire performance. 
True enough, we do witness attempts such 
as red to suggest fire, and a dark blue to 
pass muster for night, but these are so crude 
and ineffective that the films thus treated 
would be all the better if left In their glory 
of black and white. The portions are faked 
by toning them with liquid chemicals. Ac- 
cording to F. M. Wiltermood, a motion- 
picture expert, this is greatly harmful to the 
high lights In the scenes, destroys much of 

341 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

the beauty of the faces of the women play- 
ers, shrinks the sensitive films, produces 
static (the bane of all cinematographers), 
and otherwise damages the delicate images 
in the film. 

Every now and then we come across 
examples of color cinematography, but the 
efforts are so amateurish and impracticable 
that it is better to see a dozen black and 
white pictures than one of the colored 
variety. These are usually produced in the 
ordinary way and colored by a stencil 
method. As the films are magnified thou- 
sands of times, it is not unusual to discover 
the colors running into each other. Besides, 
If colored motion pictures are perfected, the 
black and white subjects will continue their 
vogue, for they are the most natural, despite 
their lack of color, which can be added 
afterward by the exhibitor, not the producer. 

In other directions some exhibitors are 
striving to present their pictures realistically 
by employing mechanical effects to accen- 
tuate things like a character knocking at a 
door or the throb of the auto engine. I also 
happen to personally know of a motion-pic- 
ture showman who, when presenting a film 
of Turkish life, made the audience appre- 

342 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

ciate the picture tenfold by the simple dodge 
of spraying the hall with an Oriental per- 
fume. Why not, then, give attention to the 
most neglected detail of all — color lighting? 

Mr. Wiltermood some time ago held 
tests at a Los Angeles theater to demon- 
strate the possibilities of his invention. His 
arc-light, with a forty-five-amperage power, 
was fixed to the projecting machine. It was 
got over convincingly that many hues could 
be produced at the same time, thus allowing 
a scene to be appropriately tinted. Sunset 
on the sea was a perfect gem, for the red 
hues among the clouds cast a crimson glow 
over the waters, while the spot-light was 
shifted about in order to show the shifting 
clouds moving past the sun. Then the time 
was gradually changed to night, and pale 
blue made a lovely moonlight effect. This 
device should enable many subtitles such as 
"That night" — to Indicate lapse of time — 
to be dispensed with. 

The experiment also proved that, by 
switching a pink color on the players, It gave 
them an air of naturalness. Their ghostly 
white faces, make-up lines and shadows were 
abolished. Interiors of offices were Im- 
proved by pale amber to suggest the glow 

343 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 



from electric light. Woodland scenes were 
also revealed in their natural beauty. 

It also appeared that many unique effects 
were possible. These the director will hail 
with delight, for he can tackle things that 
were beyond his power. For example, fog 
on the sea was produced by placing a bluish, 
clouded glass in front of the projector, show- 
ing the ships moving about in a mist. 

It is only since the advent of the trans- 
portable lamp that the director has been 
able to take outdoor scenes on a dark night, 
and do his interiors in places such as sub- 
ways, stores and office buildings where there 
is not sufficient daylight to photograph them. 
These accomplishments, aided by color light- 
ing, should give a perfect illusion. 

The progressive motion-picture exhibitor 
will not be content with a white picture 
piercing the dark hall, so, once the device 
is placed on the market at a moderate 
figure, he will introduce same in his theater. 

The light under notice does not reveal 
how the effects are obtained, for the colors 
find their way to the screen by means of the 
streak of light thrown out by the projector. 

"I got more knowledge out of these tests 
than I had before," said Mr. Wiltermood, 

344 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

"and I am sure that eventually my method 
will revolutionize the projection of films. 
So far as I know, I am the only cinema 
expert who has ever experimented scien- 
tifically with big arc-lights in the throwing 
of color hues on moving pictures. I made 
the auditorium look like a vast rainbow of 
color, and some of the movie scenes ap» 
peared to have a fairyland aspect.'* 



345 



LXXII 

ARE WE TO HAVE STEREOSCOPIC 
MOTION PICTURES? 

TT is easy to find fault with a thing, but to 
'■' set it right is quite another matter. Every 
new industry has to survive an evolution 
period. Although the motion picture has 
progressed more quickly than the average 
new creation of man, it is still full of faults. 
Most of these are minor in character, but 
the biggest proposition facing motion-picture 
workers to-day is stereoscopic cinematog- 
raphy. 

Some aver that there is no art in motion 
pictures, and, while not entering into a con- 
troversy on the subject, I affirm that were 
photoplays to be shown in bold relief, all 
doubt would be destroyed. 

Aside from this, it would automatically 
bring about several improvements which we 
fans would heartily welcome. Who has not 
strained his neck in having to sit in one of 
the front rows through seats being at a 

S46 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

premium? And why is it you can not 
view a motion-picture performance for 
more than two hours at one sitting with- 
out experiencing a severe attack of eye- 
strain, the cause of which is the inevitable 
flicker which occurs even in the best regu- 
lated theaters? 

You may, on the other hand, have sat 
so far away from the screen that the players 
resembled midgets. All this, by the way, 
stereoscopic cinematography would rectify. 
Is it not, therefore, a goal well worth 
striving for? 

What, then, have inventors to do in 
order to reach it? First of all, it would 
have to answer all practical requirements. 
No photoplay exhibitor, for instance, would 
adopt a stereoscopic method unless it did 
not necessitate a special projection machine, 
or that material alterations would not have 
to be made to adapt the projector at present 
used by him. He would also insist upon 
using ordinary films. 

With these preliminaries over, we are 
In a better position to criticize the three- 
dimension cinematography Invented by 
Edwin B. Porter and W. E. Waddell. A 
demonstration of their method was given 

347 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

at the Astor Theater, in New York City, 
recently. 

Every one of the invited spectators was 
required to use the pair of red and green 
glasses provided. With the aid of these, 
as all the lights went out, the viewer was 
treated to a motion-picture feast, the like 
of which no fan had ever gazed upon 
before. 

Natural backgrounds, and particularly 
those of rural surroundings, revealed the 
process at its best, the stereoscopic effect 
being most pronounced. 

When, however, interior work came in 
for treatment, results fell short of the first 
samples. Especially was this true of scenes 
containing rapid-fire action. These failed 
to register at all, but the sets were invested 
with a greater depth and the images seemed 
more lifelike, the shadow illusion being 
partly obviated. 

The audience couldn't resist the tempta- 
tion to see what difference the glasses made, 
so they discarded them, but not for long. 
Everything on the screen was so distorted 
that they had the utmost difficulty in seeing 
anything resembling a film. 

What produces this peculiar effect? 
348 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

Well, let me tell you that the inventors are 
a little chary of giving away their secret. 
They were, however, good enough to 
divulge the following facts. 

The camera Is equipped with two lenses, 
each of which operates together. The first 
used are first produced In black and white, 
after which they are toned green and red. 
As the two lenses are separated by the dis- 
tance of the average eye, it Is essential to 
use the glasses in such a way that the picture 
on the right is seen by the right eye and the 
left side by the left eye. The two colors 
are merged into one of a different but 
pleasing tint when seen through the glasses. 

The process is practical, with the single 
exception of the glasses. A spectator would 
soon get tired of holding them up to his 
eyes — he wants no artificial aids. 

Then, again, what exhibitor would Incur 
the expense of providing us fans with a pair 
of glasses apiece? Transparent paper of 
the right colors would serve the purpose, 
but even then the cost is not a small Item. 
It would probably mean that no spectators 
would be admitted unless they purchased a 
pair of glasses. We might care to do this 
as a novelty, but not for all time. 

349 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

It now remains to allow the naked eye 
to do the work. Then the invention, with 
the slow-action defect set right, should 
stand a fair chance of revolutionizing the 
motion-picture industry. 



350 



LXXIII 

SHOWING OLD FILMS TO CHILDREN 

' I 'HE motion-picture exhibitor is evidently 
•*■ under the impression that the child 
problem is solved by setting aside special 
matinees, but these, while a step in the right 
direction, are far from satisfactory. 

On the seven evenings weekly that the 
exhibitor solicits the patronage of adults, he 
generally presents the best of the latest pro- 
ductions. At the special children's perform- 
ance, however, he seems to take a pride in 
showing motion pictures anywhere from a 
year old and up. This "junk," as it is 
termed in trade circles, is what is standing 
in the way of an adequate supply of new 
juvenile subjects. The exhibitor rents these 
films at the rate of one dollar per reel for 
one day from the exchange. Each reel the 
exchange has purchased from the producer 
for $100, so, in order to recover the initial 
outlay, two years must elapse before the 
exhibitor can obtain same at his price. 

351 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

The exhibitor avers that the children's 
performance is not a paying proposition, but 
he is not going the right way to make it so 
when he puts on a cheap program. 

He also considers that anything will do 
for the kiddies. There is a marked differ- 
ence in the photoplays released several years 
ago and the present-day output. Now, 
wholesome stories, good acting, careful 
staging and attention to detail are the order 
of the day, and to feed children on an anti- 
quated motion-picture diet is a penny-wise 
and pound-foolish policy. 

Then, there are the educational subjects 
to be considered. Some of these are of 
timely interest when first shown, yet, by the 
time they are exhibited at the average chil- 
dren's performance, their instructive quali- 
ties are practically nil. 

A child who has been taken to an ordi- 
nary performance will find many desirable 
qualities lacking in the children's perform- 
ance, which will, in all probability, become 
a bore. He may then attend the photoplay 
theater without the parents' consent when 
undesirable (to him) pictures are on the 
program. 

I realize that there is the exhibitor's case 
352 



)UL '3 



''^-b 



■s 



MOTION PICTURE EDUCATION 

to be heard, but were he to charge, say, five 
cents additional, I feel sure that parents 
would not resent such an increase if it 
meant the newest juvenile productions being 
shown. 

It is useless to appeal to the producer, 
who is a business man and must be guided 
by the needs of the exhibitor — the retailer. 
The exhibitor must, therefore, be ap- 
proached before any response can be made 
to the increased production of these pictures. 

The problem, in my opinion, will only be 
solved when companies that specialize in 
the production of child photoplays are 
formed, and a chain of theaters opened all 
over the country catering to young folk 
only. But until this time comes it is up to 
the mothers to leave no stone unturned to 
persuade exhibitors to forsake their present 
cheap policy. 



353 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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